My School Days
by The Real SlimSy
Summary: AU adopted from the retired Project Clu-Clu. Lelouch vi Britannia is the student council president of Ashford Academy and in his last year of high school, read to find out what crazy adventures he goes through thanks to the infamous student council of his school!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yo. So I'm new to this fanfiction writing thing. When I found out that P. Clu-Clu was leaving the scene, I thought I'd step in and take over her story. She gave it to me, so now we can thankfully find out how the story ends. She gave me all of the plans she had meant for the story, so I have that, and a few ideas of my own. The first three chapters will be hers, and starting from chapter four and on, that'll be my stuff, so just be on the lookout for that.**

**Disclaimer: Code Geass isn't mine.**

Chapter One: The Bishop, Unexpected

"Good morning, Suzaku."

"Good morning, Lelouch."

With a wide yawn, the brunette blinked his groggy eyes before taking a seat besides his roommate in the spacious dining hall of Ashford Academy. Rubbing his neck, he took a whiff of the delicious aromas of breakfast lazily wafting in the air. Reaching for a slice of toast and a waiting container of sweet marmalade, he asked, "Ready for the day? It'll be our last first day of school after all."

"In regard to secondary education, it is. Not in our entire lifetime though."

"Ha, I guess you're right. I- Uh-oh. Incoming on your 2'o clock. Brace yourself; there are seven of them, each carrying five cases."

True to his warning, a troop of smiling girls rushed up to the two boy's table. Forming a perfect circumference around the large round table, the group curtsied as best as they could (every one of them was holding a stack of lunch boxes after all) before simultaneously chiming, "Good morning, your Highness!"

Smothering the urge to grimace, the center of the simpering congregation's collective attention set his national headlines down and greeted the visitors with a gentle lecture.

"There's no need to address me in such a fashion. I'm not a man of noble, nor royal, birth; I'm like you. A normal high school student. Calling me by 'your highness' is highly unnecessary; it creates a barrier between myself and you, not to mention how it contains the potential to disrupt the school environment. I believe it would be in all of our best interest if you refrained from addressing me in such a way. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master Lelouch!"

Oh, how he wished to sigh out of exasperation. They never learned.

_Never_.

Clearing his throat, he decided to let their waywardness pass for the moment and politely asked what it was that they so tightly gripped in their hands (though he knew full well what it was that they were holding).

Clara, the obvious alpha of the flock, eagerly stepped forward. Wasting not even a second, she launched into a detailed and lengthy description of each one of the thirty-five carefully and lovingly packed hand-made lunches.

Suzaku smiled into his scrambled eggs as he glanced at the trapped victim. He was nodding his head occasionally, or asking a question out of courtesy, as the girl rambled on…

And on…

And on…

And on.

It was always a wonder, seeing his friend interact with the members of the (unofficial) Lelouch-vi-Britannia fanclub. He was always so civil and gracious with them, despite muttering under his breath every now and then how they should direct their focus and energies to bigger, better things, such as studying, rather than chasing after him and doing pointless, and often undesired, errands for him.

He was simply too much of a gentleman.

Finishing off his second plate of breakfast, the high schooler glanced all around him, his train of thought moving on from the plight of the raven-haired man.

Where was she? She was going to be late for the entrance ceremony, and he hadn't forgotten what had happened the year before when she had nearly missed it. She had almost burst into tears, miserable with the mere thought of missing the highlight of her first year in the world of secondary education.

Perhaps he should go collect her? Knowing her and her sense of direction, the chances of her getting lost couldn't be entirely ruled out. Hmm… There was still twenty minutes left of the breakfast hour, but… But she had to eat too. Breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and on the first day of school, it was imperative that she eat it. Especially her, with her delicate body and-

"Suzaku!"

"Euphie!"

Flying out of his chair, he nearly tackled his girlfriend to the ground in a warm bear-hug. She giggled as he spun her around. When both of her school uniform loafers were flat on the polished ground, and she had smoothed her black skirt down to its usual length, she beamed at him while saying, "I'm sorry I'm so late. Even though it's been a year, I got a little lost. The campus is so big!"

"No, it's my fault. I should have escorted you to the dining hall. I'm sorry, Euphie, I'm so-"

"If you two are done apologizing to each other," a voice dryly interrupted, 'I'd like to drop by the student council building before the induction ceremony."

"Good morning, Lelouch!" was the cheerful answer he was given. With a soft smile, the 17 year-old, who had managed to escape the clutches of the hoard of (mad) fangirls, returned her hello.

"Mother is coming today," the elder of the two siblings said. His sister bounded on the balls of her feet excitedly, her eyes dancing, as she chirped, "Oh, I know! I'm so excited for today! So many good things are happening!"

"You have a big day ahead of you. We all do. So make sure to eat breakfast. Do you understand, Euphemia?"

"Of course! The chefs here are so talented; it would be a terrible mistake to skip the meals here. I'm afraid I'm going to gain weight, the food here is so delicious."

"You can gain all the weight you want, Euphie. You'll always be the prettiest girl to me."

She blushed, abashedly studying the leather tongues of her shoes. Lelouch, making an effort not to throttle Suzaku for making his sister so embarrassed, stuffed a hand into a pocket before walking away.

"Hey, where are you going?" called his friend.

"To talk to the vice-president."

"But what if she-"

"There's no reason for that woman to be anywhere but the student council building right now. Isn't that right, Euphemia?"

"She woke up at 6'o clock today to go to the kitchen," squeaked she. "I think she's been eating pizza ever since."

Of course she woke up early today. Out of the 365 days in the year, she woke up this early on this day only because she wanted to gorge on pizza before the three-hour period in which she had to be separated from the infernal, greasy dish until lunchtime.

Of course.

Finally granting himself the sigh he had wished to breathe ever since he had seen the thirty-five lunch boxes (which he had miraculously succeeded in directing towards the kitchen staff of the wealthy Academy), the student council president exited the cavernous community center, bee-lining for the strange woman and her strange penchant for pizza.

The Witch.

His Vice-President.

. . .

"Um… C2?"

"What?"

"Should you… Should you be doing that? Won't Lelou get angry?"

Shirley squirmed in her seat, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt, as she watched the emerald-haired woman take out her fifth pan of pizza out of the oven. Reaching for a steaming hot slice of pepperoni, the occupied girl waved her off.

"Who cares what that scrawny idiot thinks?"

"Lelou isn't an idiot!" she indignantly defended. "He's smart! He's ranked number one out of the entire school academically, and he's a chess grandmaster!"

"Shirley, do you even know what a grandmaster is?"

"U-um… W-well…"

She caught the… The pitying? Was that pity in her eyes? She caught the… The _look_, whatever look it was, the other was directing towards her, and she reddened.

"I-it doesn't matter whether I know the exact definition of grandmaster or not! What matters is that you think Lelou is stupid. And he's not! In fact, he's smarter than _you_, C2, so you shouldn't be-"

"Now, that is where you are severely misguided."

"W-what?"

"There are plenty of things that he doesn't know."

"What are you-"

"For instance. Did you know," the witch reached for another slice of pizza, "that he's still a virgin?"

"How… Why… W-why would I know th-that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "It just seemed like something you would write down in that little diary you always carry around with you."

"H-have you read my diary?"

"Don't be ridiculous. Do you seriously think that I would go through all of the trouble to steal your diary, when I can just read you like the open book that you are instead?"

Shirley opened her mouth, only to close it, only to open it once again. What… She… She couldn't be read like an open book! She was a closed book, not an open one! Wh… W-what was C.C. talking about? C.C. didn't know anything, did she? _Did she?_ Wait… Wait, had she read her diary? Oh no! Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! Everything was in there, every one of her secrets, every one of her dreams, her daydreams about Lelou, her thoughts, everything! Oh no, what if she had? Then she'd know everything and it- Oh, this was so embarrassing, it- Oh no, it-

The door to the kitchen opened suddenly, and two pairs of eyes, one amused and the other frantic, swung towards the newcomer to their small group.

"C2."

At the sound of the familiar tenor voice, Shirley almost instantaneously straightened up in her chair and smoothed her skirt down. Meanwhile, C.C., who had been lying on her side, continued to chew on slice, after slice, after slice of junk food. The invisible third party of the room watched as her crush stood in front of the other girl and crossed his arms over his chest.

"What is it, boy?" she drawled. She was completely and utterly undeterred by the disapproving frown the raven-haired man was giving her; as a matter of fact, her golden irises were glimmering with the hint of a challenge.

"How many times have I told you not to lie on the counter?"

"How many times will it take for you to get through that dense skull of yours the fact that I don't care whether the rules say I can lie on them or not?"

"You-"

"I would really hate to fight, Lelou," she said scathingly. "After all, it's the beginning of a new year, not to mention your last. It would be terrible if you started off by arguing. And with an underclassman no less. How would your harem react if they saw how much of a short temper their 'darling prince' has?"

Clearly fuming, he replied in a tight voice, "The ceremony begins in ten minutes, and, given our average walking speed as a collective group, it will take an approximate three minutes to travel to the gym. I propose that you get up, wash your hand clean of any and all grease, and attend the even in which _your presence is required, unlike last year."_

"Last year," she coolly deflected, "was not my fault, and you know it. I don't understand why you have to keep bringing it up. Why are you so stuck in the past, Lelouch?"

"Just get up, witch. We're going to be late."

"Why do you care so much if I'm there?"

_"Because you're the vice-president."_

"And so?"

"C2, get up before I-"

"Before you what? What are you going to do? What _can_ you do? Pull me up onto my feet? Are you sure you won't die from shortness of breath before you do? We all know how physically underwhelming you are."

He merely shook his head, as if he felt sorry for her, as he took his cell-phone out of his pocket. Curious, she stared at him as he quickly dialed a number. When the other line picked up, he intoned, "Bring him in" before swiftly ending the rather terse phone call.

"Bring who in?"

"C2, I tried my best to be civil with you," he explained. Walking towards the kitchen doors, he pulled out a cutting board from a cabinet. "But I see now that you're the type of individual who's too stubborn to appropriately respond to respect and consideration."

"Lelouch, what are you-"

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this."

Just at that moment, Rivalz burst into the room and handed a lumpy hemp sack to the warlock. Unceremoniously dumping its content onto the cutting board, he removed a sharp, twinkling knife from the wooden knife block and place the tip of the blade right besides…

Cheese-kun's smile.

Sitting up, the witch growled, "You are making a serious mistake right-"

"I'm under the impression that polyester playthings such as these don't rip easily, on account of its target audience being the average age of 5 years old. But under the blade of a kitchen knife, Cheese-kun won't be-"

"Lelouch-"

"Don't make me do this, C2. I know you love him; we don't have to do this. All you-"

"You are one dead-"

"We can all walk away from this room without having to pull any stuffing. It's all up to you."

There was a apprehensive silence, in which both Shirley and Rivalz shivered from the bitter tension permeating the air.

These types of power struggles… It was new. Foreign. Of course, C.C. and Lelouch clashed, as sure as the sun rose every morning. But it was never like this, never on this scale. Never where Cheese-kun was dragged in. Something had obviously happened between the two; Shirley wondered if that something had taken place during the three days in which the pair had come to school in the middle of vacation due to paperwork and business. But what could have possibly happened? Lelou had made it extremely clear that he was going to give all of his attention to his high school studies when they had graduated from junior high. And he was a man of his word.

Perhaps C.C. had actually done something wrong this time?

She and Lelou usually fought because C.C. would often twist his words, or just be plan vague and mystifying. But it was never because she actually did anything wrong; it was usually just her frustrating mischief that sparked the spats between them. Lelou was never more than exasperated with her. But perhaps she had actually done something wrong this time? Made a grave mistake?

Oh, how she wished that C.C. had offended him. Shirley knew that it was evil and hateful to harbor such a thought, but she couldn't help it; even if Lelou didn't like anyone, it didn't mean C.C. didn't see Lelou as anything more than just a third year student who was known as the school's 'darling prince' (among various other titles, such as student council president; but what was the student council president compared to 'darling prince'?). But if she had erred him, then that would take her out of the competition for sure!

And so, the young woman continued to hold her tongue, even going as far as holding Rivalz back by grabbing his wrist, and allowed for the scene to unfold.

"Have you gone mad? Who do you think you are?"

"C2, you-"

"You think that I'll hesitate from reporting you for vandalism, theft, and blackmail? You, Rivalz, and Shirley, all three of you are, are going to pay for-"

"Just get up, and I'll return Cheese-kun to you."

"Unharmed?"

"Completely."

C.C. stared at him with narrow slits smoldering with skepticism and suspicion, until she sat up and hopped off of the counter. Snatching her beloved mascot away from the murderous talons of the idiot, she darkly hissed, "I won't forget this" before shoving past him and storming out.

For someone who had just been threatened with assassination, Lelouch was extremely calm. Sliding the knife back into its slot and putting away the cutting board, he silently brushed non-existential dust off from the granite countertops before nonchalantly asking, "Shall we go then?" and following after the vice-president. Rivalz, shaking his head, mumbled something or other along the lines of "Looks like this school year's going to be a rough one" as he headed out. Shirley stood alone, feeling incredibly disappointed. He hadn't even glanced in her direction, much less say "good morning" to her.

"And I got a haircut just for him too."

Well, she'd fix that.

"Hey, Lelou! Lelou, wait for me!"

And with that, Shirley ran out of the room, determined to make Ashford Academy's 'darling prince' to notice and compliment her on her trim.

. . .

"Good morning, everyone."

Kallen smiled as she appeared backstage with Gino. Almost everyone was here; Rivalz was chatting with Shirley, Suzaku, holding hands with Euphie, was apparently apologizing to Lelouch, who was currently retying C.C.'s pigtails (probably the witch's demands; it was nothing new), for being late, as on the way to the gym, he had had to break up a fight.

"Was it between Code King and Code Queen?" the redhead questioned. The disciplinary officer nodded wearily, and she not unkindly warned him, "It's going to get a lot worse this year, Suzaku, since Code King has to disband after this year since their 'darling prince' is graduating."

"I know…"

"It's okay, Suzaku," sympathetically comforted Euphemia. "I'll help you!"

"Thanks, Euphie, but I couldn't possibly let you do something so dangerous. You know how violent the two clubs can get… Code Princess would _kill_ me if I let you. And I don't want you getting hurt either. Oh, it's okay, Euphie; I'm the one who signed up to be the disciplinary officer. You help me enough already with your words and smiles."

Kallen let out a strangely twisted smile as the two continued to trade sugary compliments in their saccharine bubble of fluff, kittens, and cotton candy. Deciding that she had had witnessed enough doting for one morning, she turned towards Rivalz and Shirley and queried, "Where's Nina?"

"Where indeed is Nina?" questioned Lelouch. Having finished tying C.C.'s hair, he frowned at the student council. "Where is she? The entire council is supposed to be on stage for the ceremony; I won't have a single member missing this year."

Everyone (save for C.C.) glanced at one another, silently praying for someone to speak up.

"Er…"

"Wh-" the raven-haired man began. Much to everyone's relief, the school's deputy headmaster, Odysseus eu Britannia, appeared and asked in his usual ingenuous manner, "It's time for the ceremony to start. All of you are ready, right?"

"Yes, sir!" chorused the group. As they rushed on stage, C.C. said, "Relax. I'm sure Nina will come before it starts."

When he didn't move from his rooted spot, she raised an eyebrow.

"Having the secretary missing is bad enough. If the president weren't to be on stage when the curtain rises, I'd hate to see what'd happen."

"… You're leaving Cheese-kun backstage."

"Over my dead body."

"C-"

"Lighten up, Lelouch. It's only morning, and already you have wrinkles."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. She had a point.

"Alright. But you're still leaving Cheese-kun back-"

She walked out from behind the wings of the stage, tightly holding the infernal plushie to her chest.

… He supposed that there was nothing he could do about that either.

… Women.

. . .

"Oh, Lelouch darling! The speech you delivered today! Simply _superb_; you can't imagine the number of mothers who came to me afterwards, complimenting me on how well-raised you are. Excellent work, my love."

"Thank you, Mother," replied her son. She smiled before turning to her other child.

"Oh, and Nunnally sweetheart, you look absolutely adorable in your new uniform. How do you like it?"

"It feels different, but I don't mind. Different doesn't always mean bad."

"No, it doesn't, dear. Oh, how charming you look! Alas, it only reminds me of how old I'm getting. Now that you're a high school student… I feel as if I'll be surrounded by grandchildren in the next blink of an eye."

"Oh, Mother! You're not old, you're still beautiful! You'll always be beautiful. Don't worry."

"Such a sweet child… But Nunnally?"

"Yes, Mother?"

"Where's Euphie?"

Truly, where was her daughter? Marianne hadn't seen her since she had left home for to move into Ashford for the school year, and that had been three days ago. Already she had forgotten about her dear old mother, and-

"Euphie-nee-sama is with Suzaku."

"Oh, Suzaku? I must absolutely meet him. Can you show me which one of the dashing gentleman in the crowd your sister's boyfriend is? I've heard so much about him, I'd like to finally meet him."

As the young girl graciously pointed out just who Suzaku Kururugi was, nearby Gino was nearly flattened by Rivalz.

"Guess what?" he nearly screamed. Gino, always one to be excited easily, half-shouted over the din of the mass of students and parents, "What?"

"Milly is here!"

"Really? Are you going to ask her out?"

"W-what? Don't be- Why would I do that?"

"Why would you do what?"

Cheeks flushing a dark shade of red, the blue-haired lad whipped around to take in the sight of the curious smirk of his love. Sidling closer to him, she hooked her arm around his neck in an arm-lock as she teased, "What new secrets do you have for me to find out, Rivalz? You can tell Aunty Milly; I promise not to tell most of everyone who personally knows you."

"U-um…"

"Gino! It's been such a long time! How's it going with Kallen?"

"Hi! It's great," cheerfully replied the younger man. Immediately releasing Rivalz, the former student council president began chatting with her fellow blonde. Rivalz, sighing (it had been nice being so close to Milly, and it devastated him how short-lived his moment in heaven had been), moved to join in on the conversation, when someone stumbled into him.

"Hey!"

"S-sorry, Rivalz," a soft voice said. Eyes widening, he realized who had run into him. Grabbing them by their small shoulders, he gently shook her as he demanded, "Where were you, Nina? Lelouch nearly lost his head 'cause you weren't at the induction ceremony!"

"I-I had to do something for the Headmaster."

"The Headmaster? What did he want?"

"W-well… Well, Rivalz…"

"What is it, Nina?"

"Well… I have an announcement to make to the student council."

"An announcement?"

She nodded her head slowly, and he blinked at her. What could Nina have to say to everyone? Was she moving? Dropping out? There had been rumors of her receiving an offer from the Dallas Research Institute to join In Vogue, some prestigious research team far out of Rivalz's mental map of the world (which really only consisted of his home and family, Ashford Academy, and Milly Ashford).

That must be it!

She was leaving!

Nina was leaving, she was moving away, deserting him and their friends, she was-

"Nina!"

Frightened by his sudden outburst, she stuttered, "W-what is it, Rivalz?"

_"Don't tell me you're moving to that Dallin Institute-thing, whatever it's called! Nina! You can't leave us! The school year just started!"_

"R-Rivalz, sh. You're making everyone stare."

"Nina!"

"Rivalz, what do you think you're doing?"

Frantic and wild-eyed, the teenager took the reproachful president by the shoulders and violently shook him.

"Lelouch, Nina is leaving us!"

But the raven-haired man merely slid his hands off of his shoulders and turned his attention towards Nina.

"Is this true?"

"I have something important to say to the student council."

"Is it urgent?"

She nodded, and he sighed.

"Rivalz, calm down. Nina, could you please gather the rest of the council? I have another matter to tend to; I'll join you as soon as I've finished."

She nodded again before scurrying away. Rivalz, refusing to even try and compose himself, shouted after the retreating figure, "Hey! Didn't you hear me? I said that Nina is leaving!"

"She's not leaving, Rivalz. Get a hold of yourself and help Nina."

"Nin-"

_"Rivalz."_

"… Yes, sir."

Slumping, Rivalz trudged back into the crowd; no one ever took him seriously. Darn them all. He'd show them this year, just how seriously Rivalz Cardemonde should be taken.

This year wouldn't be like last year, or the year before that, or the year before that.

This year would be different.

He'd make sure of that.

. . .

"Nunnally."

"Onii-sama! Your induction ceremony address was beautiful! A lot of my classmates were impressed; they can't wait to meet their new student council president."

"I'm glad you liked it. I wrote it with you in mind. But Nunnally?"

"Yes, Onii-sama?"

"Do you have everything? Do you know where your homeroom is? The school campus is one of the biggest in the nation, and a majority of the incoming students get lost during the first two weeks of the school year. Do you want me to find an upperclassman to guide you throughout the day?"

"I'm okay," she giggled. "I have my friends. Rolo is talented at finding his way around places, and I'm in the same class as him. You don't have to be worried about me, Onii-sama!"

At the mention of the boy, her protective older brother's eyes narrowed.

"Rolo? Lamperouge? The one who-"

"Saved me during last year's school field trip? Oh, Onii-sama, he's so kind, and- And I love him so much, I… I…"

Realizing how awkward her slip of the tongue was making her brother feel, Nunnally blushed as she hurriedly tried to correct her mistake.

"A-as a friend. I still love you the most, Onii-sama."

"Just be careful of him, Nunnally. You never know what others truly want from you until it's too late. Especially when you're as beautiful as you are. I don't want you getting-"

"Nunna… Oh."

At the sight of Lelouch vi Britannia, Rolo nearly tripped over himself in an attempt to stop rushing towards his friend. Flustered, he fiddled with his horn-rimmed glasses, taking them off, wiping the lenses off, and then putting them on again, before mumbling, "U-um, hello."

"Rolo," stiffly replied the raven-haired man. He looked down his nose at the boy whom his sister apparently loved (though she had claimed that it was only platonic, it was always better to be safe than sorry).

"U-um… I thought your speech was very eloquent, sir."

Lelouch merely stared at him; the first year was clearly intimidated and uncomfortable, as he shifted his weight back and forth, and his hands twitched, as if they were begging to clean his glasses again, but still didn't walk away.

Nunnally, noticing, asked sweetly, "What is it, Rolo?"

"We, uh… It's time to go to our homerooms. Kaguya sent me to find you; she said that she wanted to go back together."

"Oh! Okay. Um, Onii-sama, I have to go to class. But I promise I'll come eat lunch with you and Euphie-nee-sama today."

Giving him a peck on the cheek, she smiled and waved at him before grabbing Rolo's wrist and running off, her two braids bouncing on her shoulders.

"Don't forget what I told you, Nunnally!" he reminded her.

"I won't! Come on, Rolo. I don't want to be late!"

As he watched his sister vanish behind the doors of the Academy, Lelouch made a mental note to find out more about this Rolo Lamperouge whom his sister thought was so kind. In fact, while he was at it, he should investigate every single person in her class, including her teachers.

No one was going to hurt Nunnally.

_No one._

. . .

"What is that you wish to announce, Nina?"

Eight pairs of eyes swiveled from the president, who was seated at the head of the long table, to the opposite end where the timid secretary stood. Shrinking back from all of the attention, she quietly said, "Well… Do you remember how we discussed the possibility of an exchange student program last year?"

"It was accepted? Why was I not notified of this any sooner?"

"There was a mix-up."

At the mention of 'mix-up', creases instantaneously appeared on Lelouch's forehead, and he demanded, "What happened?"

"Some of the paperwork wasn't filled out correct- Not ours. Ours was fine. But some of the paperwork wasn't filled out correctly, and so, we just found out today that we are hosting two exchange students from Beijing No. 4 High School."

"When are they arriving?" questioned C.C. Though the idea for a foreign exchange student program hadn't been her idea, or even one she advocated, she was curious. As was the rest of the student council.

Here, she fell silent all of a sudden, as if she knew that the answer would provoke a frown and was reluctant to be at the receiving end of such a reaction.

"Nina. Please tell us," gently coaxed Euphemia.

"… Today," she mumbled.

"What?"

"T… Today. They're coming today. They're probably being escorted to the student council building as we speak."

At her words, Shirley, Gino, and Rivalz bolted out of their seats to plaster their faces against the windows. Lelouch merely put his head in his hands with a heavy sigh; they were only three hours in on the school year, and already, it was a chaotic and unorganized mess.

As Kallen and Suzaku tried to reign in the three inquisitive members, the raven-haired man tiredly asked, "Are the two exchange students form the pool of candidates I selected?"

"… One of them is."

_"One_ of them? Why is it only one?"

"Um, well, it seems like the Beijing School pulled a few strings. But Lelouch?"

"What is it?"

"There's something you need to know about the one who wasn't in the candidate pool. The Beijing School is sending him here to Ashford for remediation; he was held back a year because he-"

There was a knock on the door, and the room promptly fell silent as its inhabitants turned into ice statues. Before anyone could recollect themselves, the door slid open and a tall man whom they recognized as Li Xingke, the ESOL teacher, strode in.

"Mr. vi Britannia, these are the two exchange students from the Beijing No. 4 High School that will be enrolled here at Ashford Academy for the 2018-2019 school year. This," he gestured towards the young girl who was timidly standing in his shadow, "is first year student, Lihua Jiang, and this is-"

"Year two, Mao Qing. Treat me like a king since I'm a Qing!"

The teenager, with his dark sunglasses and silvery hair, cackled at his terrible joke as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard in his life, completely oblivious to the somewhat awkward atmosphere that was spreading throughout the room to reach even its farthest corners.

Xingke, clearly unruffled, continued on as if he had already decided to ignore the strange behavior and mannerisms of the foreigner, and picked up from where he had been interrupted.

"It was the specific request of Beijing No. 4 that the two students are made honorary members of the student council so that they are able to experience the full and complete Britannian high school experience. Thus, they will be your responsibility. I know Miss Einstein already has access to their individual files, but if there are any questions or issues, notify either myself or Headmaster Ashford. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused.

With a curt nod and a terse, "I leave the two in your capable hands," the adult exited the room. When the door close behind him, it was dead silent, until their gracious leader rose from his seat and said, "I'm Lelouch vi Britannia, a third year student and the student council president. It's a pleasure to-"

"Year two, Mao Qing. Treat me like a king since I'm a Qing!"

His unsettling barking attacked the student council's ears once again, and most of them winced or flinched, completely unused to such manic laughter. Lihua, the other exchange student, was obviously uneasy and uncomfortable with the older boy and slightly shifted away from him so as to put more space in between her and the source of her anxiety. When he suddenly gasped, she let out a squeak before hurriedly stepping out of the way to avoid being flattened by him.

Mao, his black eyes wide, immediately stopped shaking with mirth and rushed up to Lelouch.

No, not to Lelouch.

To C.C.

Kneeling by the emerald-haired woman, he took her hand with both of his own and looked up into her mildly surprised eyes. He was motionless for five intense seconds before he promptly (much to everyone's aghast shock) said, "You. I like you. You're beautiful, just like a queen should be. Just like _my_ queen should be. Will you be the queen to my king?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Code Geass isn't mine.**

Chapter Two: The Pawn, Amiable

"Do you like your teachers, Nunnally?"

"Oh, yes! Ashford Academy certainly has the best. They're all so patient and kind, and they're excellent at teaching… It's wonderful here, Onii-sama!"

"The process through which the teachers are selected is both complex and arduous so as to glean out those who are unfit for the job and to hire those who are. If a teacher's class goes below a designated average, then that instructor is put on probation; if it continues to drop, then an investigation is performed. If the average dropping is because of the instructor's faults, and not the students', then the Academy releases them."

"But what if it's their first time teaching?"

"It won't be. We never select first-time teachers." When he caught the stunned look on his sister, the raven-haired man hurriedly added, "I admit the system is prejudiced, but it's a small price to pay to be ranked as number one out of the nation when it comes to test scores."

"I see… But isn't it a little unfair, Onii-sama? What if there were no teaching positions available except for at Ashford?"

"Well, Nunnally, that is why we-"

"Nunnally!"

Slightly startled, Lelouch tore his eyes away from his beloved sister's curious eyes to discover the identity of the thief who had robbed him of the quiet tranquility of the student council conference room.

A girl who looked no older than 15 years old excitedly flounced in in a manner that was incredibly reminiscent of Milly Ashford. With her waist-length raven hair tied in two loose pigtails and lively, glimmering emerald irises, she made a bee-line straight for his sister, who was now wearing a wide smile. From behind the intruder, the student council president spied two other students follow in; one, a girl with a blank expression, a bubblegum pink ponytail, and a camera, and the other being that Rolo Lamperouge, with his fidgeting, long, unruly hair, and suspicious spectacles.

How had they known that they would be in here? No one should know; he had made sure that he would be uninterrupted during his lunch with Nunnally, he had told no one and made sure to cover their tracks. So how had they found them? Unless….

Unless that witch had pointed them into their direction.

Oh, she was going to pay for-

"Nunnally, let's go!"

"Go? Where are we going?"

"To the club fair," quietly replied the girl with the camera. She took a quick snapshot of pigtail girl, who was currently holding his sister's petite fingers, before pointing the lens at Rolo, who, like the shy tortoise he was, quickly ducked and showed her his back.

"The club fair?" Nunnally tilted her head to the side. "What's the club fair?"

"It's when every single club Ashford offers sets up booths so that you know what they do. You can sign up for them, but some of them have limited space! Oh, come on, Nunnally, I want to join the fantasy seduction club, and I want you to be there too!"

_Nunnally in the fantasy seduction club?!_

Alarms immediately went off in Lelouch's head, and he wasted no time in intervening to save his innocent and pure sibling.

"Absolutely not. Nunnally, I forbid you from so much as looking at a member of that improper and unchaste society."

"It's okay, Onii-sama," she giggled. "I was going to see if I could join the Art Club with Euphie-nee-sama. She tells me how talented the art instructor is here, and I'd like to learn how to paint with more skill."

"Your watercolors are beautiful even now," complimented her brother. Her smile brightened, as she thanked him, but her friend tugged on her hands, demanding her attention. Impatient, she mewled, "Come on, Nunnally! I don't want to be the only one not in the fantasy seduction club!"

"O-oka- I'm sorry, Onii-sama! I promise I'll make up for lunch with dinner!" called his sister behind her shoulder, as she was pulled away. The raven-haired man could only watch hopelessly as his sister was being kidnapped right before his eyes. When the door slid shut behind the rambunctious first year and company, he finally remembered his ability to walk. Jumping up, he was about to follow, when the door opened again, and, before he could demand for the return of his sister, the girl with pigtail girl flew in with a cheerful, "Forgot something!", promptly kissed him on the cheek, giggled, and skipped out as randomly as she had entered.

What the…

. . .

Cecaniah Corabelle, or more commonly known as C.C., bounded into the student council headquarters, a box of pizza in one hand and a slice of supreme in the other. Humming to herself, she thoughtfully chewed on her pre-lunch snack.

Had Kaguya accomplished her mission yet?

She had met the energetic first-year in the cafeteria. Well, it was more like she had been jumped by the energetic first-year in the cafeteria. As the emerald-haired teenager had been neatly transporting a pan of steaming pizza into a waiting box, she had swooped down on her to bombard her with question, after question, after question.

Was she the student council vice-president?

She was the student council vice-president, right?

And the president of the infamous Pizza Club?

That upperclassman with her own underground fanclub?

Did she know where the student council president was?

The guy with the really cute face that she'd love to go out with.

Did she?

And did she also know where Nunnally was, his younger sister?

She was reminded of Milly Ashford, the previous student council president. C.C. had always liked Milly; the blonde wasn't afraid to do as she pleased, much like herself, and she was always snooping around, looking for possible places to cause mischief. Again, much like herself.

And so, because she reminded her of Milly so much, C.C. asked for the girl's name, instead of smacking her for engaging her in conversation, albeit a one-sided conversation, when she had clearly been preoccupied with something much more important.

And thus, she was introduced to Kaguya Sumeragi, along with her two friends, Anya Alstreim and Rolo Lamperouge.

Lamperouge?

Wasn't that the last name of…?

Sniffing a window of opportunity, the older student plastered an amiable smile on her face and said, "Lelouch and Nunnally? I know where those two are right now."

The younger girl instantaneously switched to puppy-mode and gave the witch a pout that would have probably made her heart melt, if she weren't a… Well, if she weren't a witch and had a heart made of stone. But though her heart was made of ice, she had informed the underclassman that the ones she sought were currently in the student council headquarters. Knowing Lelouch, most likely one of the conference rooms, since the raven-haired man had always taken to them, what with their professional furniture and aura.

And then, just before she scurried away on her hunt, C.C. had made a small… Suggestion to the young girl. That to assuage the boy's anger, and to stop him from chasing after them, to give him the smallest of pecks on the cheek.

Kaguya had been surprised at first, before readily agreeing. After all, an opportunity to lay a finger on Ashford's darling prince, especially an opportunity to _kiss_ him, could not, would not, must not be wasted or passed up.

After all, it was Ashford Academy's 'darling prince.'

Ha. Ashford's 'darling prince'? More like Warlock. It seemed that no one knew of the student council president's darker side, the facet of his personality that appeared when he had dropped his title as student council president. That is, no one knew, save for her. But that was understandable. After all, was she not a-

"_Witch_."

Ah, so Kaguya had succeeded.

She should remember to thank the young girl. And also to make a note; Kaguya Sumeragi carried the potential to serve as an invaluable and indispensable tool in stirring up Lelouch vi Britannia's orderly life, something which she never tired of.

Hiding her satisfied smirk, C.C. gracefully entered the conference room, completely and utterly unperturbed by the feral glower the raven-haired man was giving her.

"You're the one who tipped off that girl, aren't you?"

"Good afternoon to you too, _Kaichou_. I see you received my little wake up call."

"Wake up- _It is 12:48 in the afternoon, C2._"

"I know. Why do you think the teachers finally let me eat pizza? It's all your fault," she accused. Pushing him back down into his chair, she casually dropped into his lap, winding an arm around his neck, as she continued to eat and rant at the same time.

"Why you felt the need to suppress the students' freedom to eat a snack during class, I don't know, but I do know how irritated I get when I think of all of the pizza I could have eaten if not for that irritating rule you enforce."

"I designed that specific piece of legislation just for you, C2, and you know full well why. You were being a distraction to the other students and the teachers, nor were you paying attention to your studies in particular. And also. It's high time you stop exclusively eating pizza; it's not good for your health, and-"

"Are you really asking the president of the Pizza Club to stop eating pizza?"

"You're addicted, you witch."

"I don't know," she popped the last bit of crust into her mouth, "what you're talking about."

"I think you do know what I'm talking about. But that's not what I want to discuss with you at the moment."

"If this is about Nunnally, then I'm leaving. Your sister is growing up, and she needs space. You're not always going to be there for her; you can't. She needs to learn to live her life without you, and more importantly, _you_ need to learn how to live _your_ life without her. It's-"

Ignoring her lecture, he cut to the chase and intoned, "What was your reply to Mao's proposal?"

"… Why do you want to know?"

"Because you went as far as going out into the hall to speak to him privately. What did you say to him, C2?"

"If I told you, wouldn't it defeat the purpose of my going out into the hallway with him?"

He said nothing, simply waiting for her to provide the key for the lock to the chains weighing down his mind.

Sighing, she rested her chin on his shoulder. As she studied the way the tips of his ears turned the faintest shade of pink, C.C. reflected on how she would have smiled, if not for the subject of their conversation.

"Consider who I am, Lelouch. Do you think that I would accept Mao's confession?"

But she could tell that he was still uneasy, still uncomfortable. Still apprehensive. Oh, the fool. So, she decided to do what she did best, and distracted him.

"Who's going to be the treasurer this year?"

"Treasurer?" His brooding amethysts shifted towards her, as she replied, "Since Clara Lamperouge resigned to become the president of Code King, the position is vacant. Who's going to be the treasurer now?"

He gave her a long look before answered. He knew what she was doing, what she was trying to do. And though he wasn't ready to drop the subject, if she wanted to move on, what else could he do? And so, he told her his intended plans.

"The former treasurer of the junior high school student council will have to take her place, since they should be familiar with the responsibilities of the treasurer."

"Do you know who the former treasurer of the junior high school was?" she drawled, lazily tangling her lithe fingers in his silky raven locks. She wondered what shampoo he used; perhaps she could steal some. It smelled nice.

"No, but that will be easy enough to figure out."

"As expected of Lelouch vi Britannia," she smirked. He only simply grabbed hold of her waist and slid her off of his lap.

"Get off. I need to make an announcement."

"Mmmm, I'm not finished eating pizza though."

"It doesn't matter. I need to meet the junior high school student council."

"You can meet them after I finish. Besides, the vice-president isn't prepared to meet them. How can the president selfishly force the vice-president to wolf down her lunch? What if she chokes? What are you going to do then? What can you do, with your skinny, lanky frame?"

"Get off, C2."

"Pay the toll."

"What toll? There's no toll; you can't toll me. It's my lap and-"

"The toll, boya. We've discussed this before, haven't we? Don't play dumb with me."

"Then don't act coy with _me_, witch."

"Then pay the toll. And I'll let you go to make all of the announcements as you wish."

He stared at her before caving in with a sigh. Running a hand through his hair, he muttered, "You're stubborn, you know that?"

"I'm C2, am I not?"

He smirked. He couldn't help it. This woman… No, this _witch_…

"Fine. I'll pay the toll."

"Good. Pay it in full. I don't want anything like last time."

"Mmm."

"I'm warning you, Lelouch. If you try to pull off anything like last time, Code King will find pictures of you when you were three years old, courtesy of me and your mother."

"No need to threaten me with blackmail, though I know how much you're fond of doing so. I'm not one to shirk off responsibility."

"I would believe you better if you stopped stalling and backed up your claims with actions."

"Of course."

And with that, he paid the toll.

. . .

"Come on, Nunnally! I don't want to be the last one!"

Kaguya hurriedly tugged on her friend's hand, who replied with, "Wait, Kaguya. Let me catch my breath."

"Oh Nunnally, what am I going to do with you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she smiled. "Just a little short of breath. Why don't you go ahead without me? I would hate for all of the spots be taken."

"Are you sure?"

The chestnut-haired girl nodded her head with a sweet smile, and her companion gave her hand a quick squeeze.

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

"Okay."

"Actually, Rolo, stay with Nunnally. Anya, come with me. We have to stay in pairs; some of these high schoolers are strange, and I would get so upset if something happened to you or Anya. You too, Rolo, although I'm sure you'd be fine out of all of us."

"Wait, Kaguya," began Rolo. But it was already too late. The cheerful Japanese had taken hold of unwitting Anya's wrist and dove into the swarming crowd of laughter, chattering, and excitement. He began panicking; he was so under-qualified to protect Nunnally, it was ridiculous. How could Kaguya do this to him? He couldn't guard Nunnally, it was beyond his capabilities, and now she was going to get lost, or even worse, _hurt_ because of _him_.

Hands quivering, he nervously wiped the light sheen of sweat covering him before slipping his spectacles off. It was a bad habit, but it was the only thing that calmed him down. Shaking, he began to clean the lens, when a gentle hand caught his wrist. Rolo looked up, surprised to see his classmate smiling gently at him.

"Do you want to look at the different clubs together, Rolo?"

Taken aback, he blinked before unsteadily nodding. Her smile widened, and she hooked their arms together before they began to slowly meander through the school's enormous campus.

"Onii-sama told me that there's a total of 143 school-approved clubs and sports teams here at Ashford Academy. A few of them are the fantasy seduction club, which is the one Kaguya wanted to join, and the Ashford Grandmaster Society, which is the Academy's chess club. Would you be interested in joining, Rolo? Onii-sama is the chairman and the founder, and the Society is extremely successful; Onii-sama won the World Chess Championship last year. Do you want to join?"

"… I'm okay," he mumbled. Shifting his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose, he said, "… I saw the pamphlet though. Is there any club that you want to join, Nunnally?"

"Mmmm… Well, I know I want to join the National Art Honors Society. Oh, and the Pizza Club! I've heard so much about the Pizza Club, and I would really like to join. Onii-sama is the vice-president of the club, and he gets frustrated sometimes because of C2-nee-sama, but I can tell he has fun too."

"The Pizza Club? Is that the one where-"

"They broke the record for the world's largest pizza? It is! They did it last year, and in the Pizza Club's inaugural year, and then C2-nee-sama ate so much, she had a stomachache. Suzaku-nii-sama had to carry her to her room afterwards."

"Hmmm…"

A foreboding sense of danger shadowed Rolo, and he couldn't help but feeling that the Pizza Club, or more specifically, the Pizza Club's _president_, was going to be hounding him often. That is, _if_ he retained his position as student council treasurer. If not, then he'd have no trouble. But if he were to be… The very thought made his fingers twitch with the desire to clean his glasses.

"I- Oh!"

The freshman looked up, startled to see what had made his companion gasp. His arm was nearly ripped out of its socket as his friend vanished in a black and brown blur. Turning around, he could hear Nunnally's giggles float their way to his ear and saw that she was being swept into a ferocious hug.

It was a tall brunette, much taller than Rolo, and much more athletic. He could tell that there was an armada of well-built muscle lying wait underneath even through the rather conservative school uniform. The upperclassman (it most likely was an upperclassman, right?) set his friend down and he watched as he said something along the lines of a cheerful greeting, how cute she had gotten to be over the summer, and if she were particularly interested in any of the school clubs. She blushed, and Rolo couldn't help but wonder if Nunnally liked the type of guy that was robust and broad-shouldered. The possibility of that being her ideal type made his own not-so-broad shoulders wilt; if she did, then there was an even lesser chance that she could reciprocate his fee-

"Rolo! Come meet Suza-nii-sama!"

Dragging a lopsided and stiff smile on his lips, he obediently trudged his way towards his crush.

"Suza-nii-sama, this is Rolo Lamperouge. He's my friend and my classmate."

"Lamperouge?" The older student scratched his head, deep in thought. "Isn't that the name of-"

_**KABOOM.**_

The trio's heads, along with the rest of the throng's heads, immediately snapped to the source of the ear-shattering explosion. Upon discovering the cause, Suzaku's startled expression promptly collapsed into one of exasperation.

"Um, is that…?" began Nunnally. Running a hand through his hair, the brunette sighed, "Yeah. Nunnally, I'm going to have to go and break them up. But we'll catch up later. I think it would be best for you to go to the other side of the campus for the time being. Try to avoid enclosed spaces. And remember, if you hear screaming, run in the opposite direction, as fast you can. Preferably to Lelouch, since that'll probably be the safest place to be – in fact, just go to him-"

"Suzaku!" A teenage girl wearing a frightened expression rushed up to him. Her lilac ponytail was loose and falling out, as if it too were terrified and wished to be as far away from the situation as possible.

"I'll be right there, Mari. I-"

"Hurry! Code King and Code Queen are about to _kill_ each other! We need to break this up before anyone gets sent to the hospital!"

"Yeah, I- Nunnally, be safe. Rolo, I can entrust her to you, right? Thanks. I'll see you two later!"

And before the poor boy could even open his mouth to reply, the chair of the Ashford Academy Disciplinary Committee dashed off.

"Well… Suza-nii-sama told us to put distance between us and the two Codes, so… Shall we go, Rolo?"

"Um, Nunnally, what exactly is Code King and Code Queen?" Rolo queried. Though he was wary of any and all of the extracurricular activities of Ashford Academy, particularly the ones that caused mass chaos and explosions that belonged in nuclear bomb testing sites, he was curious to know. As they retraced their steps to the Student Council Headquarters, she explained.

"There are four Codes Ashford Academy are famous for. Code King, Code Queen, Code Princess, and Code Knight. King and Queen are the strongest and have the most people."

"But what are they for?"

"Well… Before I tell you, Rolo, promise me you won't tell Onii-sama that I'm telling you this. He doesn't really like discussing this subject."

"Um… Okay. I promise."

"Code King," she said, suddenly extremely self-conscious, "is the underground fanclub that avidly supports Onii-sama. Um… Most of the girls, and a few of the male students too, are members of Code King. They coined Onii-sama's nickname too; 'darling prince.' But Rolo?"

"Huh?"

"I thought your sister was the newly sworn in chairwoman of Code King."

"Ah… I don't really like to pay attention to her… Extracurricular activities."

"Oh."

"What about Code Queen? It's the same thing, right?"

"It is, but Code Queen supports C2-nee-sama, and most of _its_ members are boys."

"Who's Princess and Knight?"

"Euphie-nee-sama and Suza-nii-sama. Though they're not as forward when it comes to expressing themselves."

"This school has a lot of underground fanclubs…"

"Onii-sama keeps trying to stamp them out, but… It's not going too well. Code King formed when Onii-sama first came to Ashford, and then the student council president at the time, Milly Ashford, kind of fanned them into power, and… Then C2-nee-sama enrolled, and Code Queen was created, and… They fight a lot. Because they see Onii-sama and C2-nee-sama bickering, they themselves fight often. Which is why the Disciplinary Committee became its own organization."

So that was how the Academy worked; it was in its own world, surrounded by its own little bubble. Here were the Academians' own celebrities and such. Why gossip and obsess over an actor or a singer that you had a 1 in 5,000,000 chance of meeting face-to-face, much less have them remember you, when you had your local 'darling prince'? Especially a darling prince as charismatic and attractive as Lelouch vi Britannia?

"Um, Nunnally, I was wondering, but how are clubs established here at-"

"Oh, hello! Are you lost?"

"G-good afternoon," whispered the young girl. With large, cerise doe eyes and snow-white hair, the nervous student looked the very definition of innocence and purity, and Nunnally couldn't help but feel drawn to help her.

"Are you new here?" inquisitively questioned Nunnally. She couldn't remember seeing this classmate during junior high school; she would have remembered her if they had met, or if she had even seen her once in the hallways. But no matter how hard she thought, the chestnut-haired girl couldn't recall ever seeing her.

"I am," murmured she anxiously. "Could you please direct me to Li-sensei's classroom? I have some questions I'd like to ask him, and I don't know my way around the school."

"Of course! Follow us."

As the trio began to make their way to the world language hallway, Nunnally introduced herself and Rolo, all the while giving her the friendliest and warmest smile.

"My name is Lihua Jiang."

"What a beautiful name," complimented the young girl. Lihua merely blushed in silence, the faintest dusting of rose coloring her pale cheeks before she quietly mumbled a 'thank you.'

"You're most welcome," cheerfully chirped Nunnally. Wide indigo eyes shining, she sweetly offered, "Um, Lihua, if you're okay with it, could I eat lunch with you sometime? I'd like to get to know you better. I feel as if you're new here, and-"

_"Attention, students."_

Somewhere off in the distance, the trio could pick up on the excited collective scream of 300+ fangirls as they heard the sound of their darling prince's warm tenor echo throughout the school grounds.

_ "Would the following students please report to the Student Council Headquarters: Anya Alstreim, Rivalz, Cardemonde, Nina Einstein, Shirley Fenette, Lihua Jiang, Kallen Kozuki, Suzaku Kururugi, Rolo Lamperouge, Kaguya Sumeragi, Euphemia vi Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia, and Mao Qing. I repeat, would Anya Alstreim, Rivalz, Cardemonde, Nina Einstein, Shirley Fenette, Lihua Jiang, Kallen Kozuki, Suzaku Kururugi, Rolo Lamperouge, Kaguya Sumeragi, Euphemia vi Britannia, Nunnally vi Britannia, and Mao Qing report to the Student Council Headquarters at this time. Thank you."_

"Well… Looks like we should go to the Student Council Headquarters," said Rolo. Nunnally nodded her head in agreement before taking both Lihua and Rolo's arms.

"Let's go and see what they need! Come on! Everyone will be there, and now you can meet Kaguya and Anya, Lihua!"

"O-okay."

And with that, the three freshman made their way to the source of their student council president's voice.

. . .

"Alstreim, Anya."

"Here."

"Cardemonde, Rivalz."

No reply.

"Cardemonde, Rivalz."

No reply.

"Where's Rivalz?"

"R-Rivalz was rushed to the emergency room because of a stunt that went wrong…" timidly offered Nina. The corner of Lelouch's mouth twitched, threatening to curl into a frown, but he made no further comment and moved on down the list.

"… Corabelle, Cecaniah."

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?"

"Einstein, Nina."

"H-here."

"Fenette, Shirley."

"I'm here, Lelou!"

"… Jiang, Lihua."

"P-present."

"Kozuki, Kallen."

No reply.

"Kozuki, Kallen."

No reply.

"… Don't tell me she also-"

"She went with Gino to make sure Rivalz's paperwork was filled out and stuff like that," replied Suzaku, all the while massaging his shoulder with an ice pack. True to Kallen's warning, Code King had become absolutely deranged and demented with passion, and it was hurting him. A lot. Suzaku would have never guessed that _passion_ could be so… So _painful_.

"… Kururugi, Suzaku."

"Here."

"Lamperouge, Rolo."

"Pre… Sent…"

"Sumeragi, Kaguya."

"I'm right here, darling!"

"… vi Britannia, Euphemia."

"Present!"

"vi Britannia, Nunnally."

"Present," chirped his youngest sister.

"Qing, Mao."

"The King is in the house!"

Lelouch decided to ignore Mao for the time being and get on with business.

"I called each one of you here today because you are either a current student council member, or once held office. I would like to announce that the former junior high school student council will be merging with our student council. I have also decided to expand the student council, and will instate Anya Alstreim as the student council historian, as she was previously."

"And the treasurer? Who's going to be handling all of the money that goes through Ashford?"

"That will be-"

_"Me!"_ exclaimed Mao. Rising from his seat, he overzealously declared, "I am the treasurer! Me, Mao Qing, I'm the treasurer!"

"Mao," gently said Euphemia. "Perhaps we should let Lelouch finish his announcement. After all, he's the student council president, and he knows what's best for all of-"

"Then he knows that I was born to be the treasurer!" the older student belted. "I'm the best! Make me the treasurer, and I'll make sure we get the best, I know what the treasurer does. It's the easiest job in the world, and-"

"The treasurer for the Ashford Academy Student Council is one of the most challenging offices an individual can hold," Lelouch cut in. His patience was beginning to wear thin with Mao, and the foreigner's rude ways weren't helping him endure this disruption of the normally smooth and well-oiled gears of the council. "And we don't know if you're qualified to fill the demanding position of treasurer. We do know, however, that Rolo is, as we can look back on his experience during his junior high school student council career, and-"

"He's nothing compared to me. I'm the ki-"

"Yes, we all know, you're the king. But there are times when commoners are more skilled and more necessary than those of royal heritage, and-"

"It's been decided!" he stubbornly yelled, all the while stamping his foot. "Mao Qing is the student council treasurer for this-"

That was it. Lelouch had had enough. First, C.C., and now, the position of treasurer. That was enough. He was finished with this tomfoolery. They were wasting time and energy, none of which they had to spare. It was time to crush the head of the snake.

"The Ashford Academy student council treasurer for the 2018-2019 school year," he said in a hard voice, looking directly at Mao, "will be Rolo Lamperouge, the previous treasurer for the junior high school student council."

"What? What the hell is this?"

"Does anyone have any objections?"

"Not at all. Whatever you see fit, Lelouch," cheerfully replied Euphemia. Suzaku nodded, before adding, "I'm sure Rivalz, Kallen, and Gino won't have anything against it. We're all behind you in your decision, Lelouch."

"Hear, hear, Darling," crooned Kaguya. Nunnally nodded her head in agreement, adding, "Rolo was a wonderful treasurer during our time together. I wouldn't recommend anyone else but him. He-"

"No!"

Startled, everyone stared at Mao, who was repeatedly stamping his foot while screaming.

"_I'm _the treasurer,_ I_ have to be the treasurer, not that scrawny little kid! _Me! Me, the king, not the slave! I have to be the king, me! I have to be the treasurer so I can be with C2! I need to be with C2, I can't be demoted to some insignificant member, I need to be the treasurer so that I can be with C2!"_

"_Mao!"_

Euphemia, Nunnally, and Shirley shrunk back in surprise. Rolo nearly dropped his spectacles while Lihua jumped; even Suzaku and Kallen looked stunned as they witnessed the snapping of the raven-haired man's patience.

"I am the residing student council president, and therefore, with the power vested within me by the Headmaster, it is within my jurisdiction to expel you from the council. I suggest you adhere to my decisions, lest you wish to leave the group."

A tense silence settled in, and no one moved. That is, no one moved until Rolo accidentally lost his balance from wiping his glasses so vigorously. Mao, catching sight of him, whipped around and pointed an accusatory finger and a glower in the lanky freshman's direction.

"You! You, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, _you!_ You're in the way, you're in my way! You, get out of my way! You stupid interferer, you weakling! Get out of my way!"

He pulled his hand back, readying a painful blow aimed for Rolo, who flinched and shrunk back in fear.

"I need to get rid of you! That's the only way I can be with C2, to get rid of you! I'll get rid of anyone and everyone who's standing in my way, and I'll start with you! You little bastar-"

"Mao."

C.C. stepped forward.

"Mao, calm down."

"I'm not going to listen to you!"

"Mao, don't do this to yourself. Don't begin the school year by breaking rules and making enemies," urged she.

_"I don't have to listen to anyone! Especially to someone who refused to be my queen! I'm not listening to you, to your stupid president, or to anyone! I'm the king here, me! Mao Qing! I'm the king! You should all listen to me!"_

"Then if I'm your queen. Will you listen to me then?"

The entire student council stared at her in shock. What was she saying?

_"Don't try to deny that you rejected me, C2! I remember what you said, I remember every word! 'I'm sorry, but I can't be your queen, as I'm already someone else's queen.' Don't think I've forgotten what you said!"_

"I lied to you. I'm sorry, Mao, but it was a lie. I didn't know how to let you down, so I lied to you. I'm sorry."

What Mao didn't know was how large of a lie C.C. had just fed him. The witch received an average of two confessions every week, all of which she rejected in a tidy, professional, and truthful manner. But he didn't know, and he readily swallowed her silver words out of desperation and desire to be with her.

Eyes wide, he excitedly stuttered, "Then… Then are you my-"

"Yes, Mao. I am your queen."

Lelouch nearly choked. What the hell was she saying right now? C.C. as Mao's queen? Was this a dream? A nightmare? Had he fallen asleep in class again? Perhaps he had, and this was all just an apparition, an illusion, designed by his deepest fears, and it- Impossible. This wasn't- C.C. wasn't the type to- _What the hell was she doing?_

Euphemia immediately moved to stand by her brother's side. Taking his arm, she silently queried if he were alright. He only stared at her with wide disbelieving eyes, as if he couldn't quite grasp the reality of what had just unfolded before him. Not that she herself could believe what had just happened. What was happening? She was so confused; she thought C.C. was…

Had C.C. really just…?

Though she could only imagine what her brother was going through, Euphemia silently implored him to hold back his rage. She didn't want any fighting, especially when it was only the beginning of the year.

As the rest of the student council looked on, Mao smiled widely before grabbing C.C.'s hand and dragging her out of the room. Just as the door closed behind them and the last strand of her hair vanished, golden irises glanced back and locked with amethysts for a split second before disappearing.

It had been enough.

Lelouch tried his best to be patient, especially with those who were stubborn. C.C. was infamous throughout the Academy for being strong-willed. But what most Ashford Academians didn't know was how perverse and obstinate their good-natured and reasonable student council could be when he wanted to.

And he wanted to.

Lelouch vi Britannia would be most willing to fight if need be, and it seemed as if the trumpet of battle had called, cuing him to take up arms.

And take up arms he would.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Pawn, Heartbroken

"Euphie-nee-sama?"

"Yes, Nunnally?"

The older of the two girls finished zipping up the younger's suitcase and set it upright before looking to her sister, who was putting on her backpack.

"Is it really true that the dormitories in the Student Council Headquarters are better?"

"Where did you hear that?"

"Well, it's just a silly rumor being whispered around, but I was just wondering…"

Tapping her chin, Euphemia thought back on her dorm in the Headquarters. _Were_ the Student Council Headquarter dorms better than the dorms at Avalon and Camelot? It didn't seem like it… Then again, she had never actually slept in the rooms at Camelot…

"It's true that the student council members are allowed to do some things that other students can't…" she began slowly. "But I don't think that our dormitories are any different than everyone else's…"

"Then why do all of the members have their rooms in the Headquarters, and not Camelot or Avalon?"

The upperclassman brightened, pleased to have an answer for her sister.

"Oh, that's so we can work together more easily. If we need a signature, or want to discuss something, then we can just knock on the door of whoever we need to speak to. Remember, boys are at Avalon and girls are at Camelot, and in order to go to the other, you need to apply for a pass, and that would be tedious and slow down the Council's efficiency. So the student council members live in the Headquarters altogether to make running the school easier. It's kind of like how all of the teachers live in the Myrddin building."

"I see…"

"There are a total of ten rooms at the Headquarters, and each one of them have been furnished in a unique way, thanks to Headmaster Ashford. Have you received your dormitory assignment yet, Nunnally?"

"Not yet, but… Um… Euphie-nee-sama?"

"Hmm?"

Nunnally anxiously shifted her weight as she fiddled with the straps of her backpack. This wasn't a stupid question to ask, was it? Was it?

"Are the… Are the dormitories co-educational?"

Euphemia had been busy closing the door of the now-vacant room, and had consequently missed the obvious signs of uneasiness in her sister, but when the young girl spoke, she didn't miss the familiar tremor of apprehensiveness in her voice. She wanted to hug her, and assuage her fears. But she knew that if she were to, she would only confuse her, and so, she tried to calm her urges and handled the situation in what she hoped was a professional enough manner that would impress even her brother. Turning around, she smiled genially and replied, "Your roommate will be a girl, Nunnally, so you don't have to worry. But the hallway is shared by both boys and girls. Girls are the even-numbered rooms, and boys are the odd, but it's okay. You can trust everyone on the student council. Though if you are ever worried or need help with anything," she added, "C2 and I are in Room 2, and Lelouch and Suzaku are in Room 1."

"Oh, but I wouldn't want to trou—"

"Nunnally."

The pair stopped short in the hallway, which was currently being blocked by a silent, camera-toting girl.

"Oh, hello, Anya. Have you finished relocating your things?" the chestnut-haired girl queried. Her friend nodded in turn, quietly saying, "Gino and Kallen helped me. Nunnally, we're in Room 4 together."

Delighted at the news, Euphemia clapped her hands excitedly before chirping, "Oh, that's right next to my room! We'll be next door neighbors, Nunnally!"

"You should thank your brother," intoned Anya. Surprised, the eldest of the trio tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Lelouch?"

"Kallen told me that he was the one that assigned the dormitories. She was angry, because he moved her and Shirley over two rooms, so that she also had to move all of her stuff."

"Did he really?" Nunnally blinked in surprise. Why would Onii-sama do that? He wasn't one to rearrange things like that without notice.

"Mmhmm," nodded Anya. "When Kallen cornered him, he said something about strategic placement, with the older and more experienced flanking the younger and less experienced."

The two sisters looked to each other. The older and more experienced flanking the younger and less experienced? Was something going on? Why was their brother repositioning people as if he were going to war?

"Have you seen Lelouch, Anya?"

"Kallen confronted him in the courtyard, but I haven't seen him since. Though it did look as if he was going in the direction of the mathematics wing."

"Mathematics?" This was just getting stranger and stranger. "Why would Onii-sama be going to the mathematics wing? He finished the high school math curriculum two years ago. He shouldn't have anything to do there."

"Well, that's what it looked like," she shrugged.

The vi Britannia siblings looked out of the window in the direction of the empty mathematics wing. Shielding their eyes from the setting sun, they tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for their brother's sudden change of behavior. Why would he bother going into that specific part of the school? Especially when most, if not every, student and teacher should be in the dining hall eating dinner? He had no business there… Or did he? Hmm… It was all very strange. Perhaps they should ask him upon his return.

Perhaps.

In the meanwhile, though, it would probably be best to move everything down to the Student Council Headquarters.

"Are you going down to eat dinner, Anya?" asked Nunnally. Her classmate shook her head no, replying that she had already had dinner, and instead offered her new roommate a helping hand in moving her possessions. The two sisters gladly accepted, and they made their way together, filling the empty hallway with their amiable chatter.

. . .

C.C. let out a long, low sigh as she tried (and failed) to shuffle the innumerable sheets of loose-leaf paper into a neat stack. Damn math teacher, making her come all the way here when she was busy; she had pizza to eat, and pizza to ba— Well… She had _Lelouch to order around to bake_ pizza for her. For as long as he was around, she would never bake her own pizza from scratch. Though she didn't like to admit it, he had always been the better cook out of the two. Besides, she enjoyed watching him, the sleeves of his crisp, white dress shirt rolled up, his spidery fingers kneading the soft dough into perfection with flour dusting his long eyelashes and—

The door to the empty classroom slid open and the emerald-haired woman tightly clenched her papers, biting down her gasp of startlement. She thought she had been alone; everyone else should have been at the dining hall, gossiping about their new teachers and stuffing their faces with food, not—

It was Lelouch.

Correction. It was a _shell_ of Lelouch.

For the individual who stood in the doorway was not the proud, confident man she had first met seventeen years ago, but a downcast and scared little boy.

C.C. steeled herself; she knew why he was here. She had been expecting this, had been expecting him, and it seemed the moment had finally arrived. She watched as he walked towards her, waiting for the silence to be broken.

"C—"

"Lelouch, calm down before—"

"Why?" He gazed down at her with pain in his eyes, uttering the single word in a hoarse whisper as he searched her for answers. "Tell me. Why?"

"… Someone needs to control him."

"But there's another way, another method, that can be used to—"

"Lelouch, what am I?"

He only stared at her, and she gently asked, "What am I, Lelouch?"

"… The vice-president."

"And what is my role?"

"… To run the school alongside me," he reluctantly choked out.

"That's correct. You and I are responsible for running a large part of the school. But if Mao distracts you, Lelouch, what happens to Ashford?"

He had no reply for her, and she quietly implored for him to trust in her decision.

"Lelouch, I—"

"But it doesn't mean that—"

"Lelouch."

Letting the papers fall to the ground, she gently cupped his cheek with her cool hand and rubbed the pad of her thumb over his cheekbone as she looked into his eyes.

"My warlock."

"… Ceci…"

She smiled at the use of her childhood nickname and allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist, consented for him to pull her in as closely as he could. As he pressed her slender frame to himself, he mumbled into her hair, "Promise me.""

"Promise you what?" she whispered, her own arms stealing around his slim midriff.

"Just promise me."

"… I promise."

He buried his nose into the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet perfume, and she pressed her soft lips on the exact spot she knew he liked to be kissed, right behind his pierced earlobe.

Oh, the silly boy…

Sometimes, it was difficult to tell who was the older between her and him. The line blurred at times, though she had to admit that it was nice that he came to her when feeling lost or afraid. It proved to her that she had not yet been forgotten by him, though, she ruefully thought, she supposed that him not remembering her was an inevitable event that would take place one day. But not yet… It hadn't happened yet, that day hadn't come yet, so for now, for the time being, she would enjoy the attention while she could. While it lasted.

She and her warlock.

Till graduation would they part.

The witch, and her warlock.

. . .

Suzaku paced up and down the length of his rather spacious dormitory. He felt torn in two; the desire to go help Euphie was burning through him, but there was also the curiosity to hear the discoveries made in his best friend's investigation… But then again, Euphie shouldn't have to carry anything heavy. But Lelouch's inquiry… Why was it so hard to decide? It was either Lelouch or Euphie. Euphie or Lelouch. It— He— But— Suzaku spun on his heel and made a beeline straight for the door. Ah, he supposed that Lelouch could wait. Euphie moving was a one-time occurrence, and he could just ask Lelouch at a later time when—

He was surprised to see the door open by itself.

No. Not by itself.

Lelouch.

He tramped into the room, looking a little… Worse for the wear. What had happened? As the raven-haired man shed his brown jacket and set it on his neatly-made bed, Suzaku slowly sat down in his desk chair before cautiously probing.

"So… Did you talk to C2?"

"Yes," he replied. Tiredly rubbing his face, the president took a seat on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees and his face in his hands. Trying not to frown out of concern, Suzaku tried his best to maintain a blank face and a neutral tone as he prompted, "And what'd she say? Why did she agree to be Mao's girlfriend?"

"To control him."

Huh. That sounded like something C.C. would want to do, though the… Logic used to achieve control was a little strange… He had always thought the underclassman as someone who took relationships incredibly seriously, as she was extremely picky and turned down everyone of the offers she had been given by countless male students. Perhaps he had been wrong? Eh, well, whatever. That wasn't the issue at the moment. The issue at the moment was Lelouch. After all, didn't Lelouch…?

"… Hey, Lelouch?"

"What is it?"

"Don't you…?"

When the brunette never finished his sentence due to his hesitance, his roommate looked up at him. Suzaku cleared his throat, nervous all of a sudden, before trying once more.

"I mean… Are you…?"

"What is it, Suzaku?"

"… I thought you… I— Don't you like C2?"

"I do. She's dependable, despite her frustrating love for pizza and—"

"No, I mean… I thought you liked her in the way that you wanted her to be your date for prom."

He said nothing, and the Japanese teen swallowed with some difficulty, his throat suddenly parched.

"… Do you?" he asked. "Like her in that way, I mean."

"… I've known C2 since she was born. Nunnally loves her, she's Euphemia's best and closest friend, and my mother adores her. Her parents have entrusted her well-being to me, to make sure she's safe and does well in school. To make sure she's happy."

"… And?"

"And I intend to do just that," he quietly finished. Suzaku scratched his head.

"Do what? Make her happy?"

"Oh, she's happy. She has her Pizza Club. But she's not safe as long as Mao Qing is allowed to do whatever he pleases. He makes me uneasy, especially with the way he looks at C2."

"So what are you going to do? Run him out?"

"Don't be ridiculous. How can the student council president dirty his hands?"

"Then who would willingly… Oh. _Oh_."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and Suzaku frowned. Was that even legal?

"I hate to do this," sighed the raven-haired man, "but—"

"You can't be seriou—"

"Do I look like I'm playing around when I say that Mao Qing is a dangerous man? Suzaku, it's not just for C2. It's for everyone; you saw how he was going to hit Rolo because he didn't get what he wanted."

"But isn't it bullying if we—"

"Think of Euphemia."

The all-star athlete quieted down.

"Do you truly think that Mao won't lash out at her, won't use her, to get his way? We're all just pawns to him, Suzaku. He doesn't care who gets hurt, so long as he gets what he wants. He's dangerous, and he's far too close to Euphemia, Nunnally, and C2 for my comfort. He can only bring trouble to the student council."

He was silent, mulling over the possibility brought to light by the warlock. Could it be…? He always preferred to think the best of everyone, to give people the benefit of the doubt, but was Mao Qing really one of those individuals who shouldn't be thought of optimistically?

"We'll give him one more chance," he heard his companion sigh. "One more chance. But if he so much as tries to hurt someone again…"

"Then we'll chase him out," he finished. "But how? What can we do?"

"Everyone has secrets. We just have to find the right one. Once we do, we'll have all of the cards in our hand, we'll have leverage."

"And then we play them right."

"And then we play them right," agreed the raven-haired man. "But in the meanwhile, we wait, watch, and search for the key to the lock."

Suzaku nodded absentmindedly. He wasn't quite sure he concurred with Lelouch's chosen path, but he knew he did concur with the fact that Mao Qing posed as a potential threat to Euphie's safety. Which was really enough for him to… Well, really enough for him to do anything, be it stepping in between her and a gang of rabid cats or moving Mt. Fuji. If it was for Euphie, then Suzaku was completely and fully willing to walk through the Valley of Death. For Euphie. Speaking of which… Where exactly was she? Perhaps her brother knew.

"Hey, Lelouch?"

When there was no acknowledgement of his question, the brunette looked up from the laces of his brown combat boots, expecting to see his friend seated at his own desk or lying on the bed. He was greeted by an empty bedroom.

"Lelouch?"

Where had he gone? Actually, where was everyone? Not just Lelouch, but all of the other student council members had vanished. Where were they?

Jumping out of his seat, he dashed out into the hallway, looking up and down the corridor. There were the doors leading to the other nine out of the ten dormitories specifically reserved for the Ashford Academy Student Council in the Student Council Headquarters. The passageway, which was usually so brightly lit and bustling, with at least one door open and the cheerful, lively sounds of chattering and music floating about, stretched out beyond him in dead silence.

Across the hallway was Euphie and C.C.'s room. It was closed, and had no pizza delivery boy standing in front of it, which was understandable considering C.C. was out and about and Euphie had left to help her sister move. Which mean that she was still lifting heavy loads.

The door slammed shut behind Suzaku as he sprinted down the hall.

_Euphie_, he thought, _I'm coming, wait for me, I'm coming to help you!_

And thus, the dormitories of the Ashford Academy Student Council were abandoned.

. . .

**The Following Day…**

. . .

Lelouch vi Britannia stood in the doorway of Class 2-1, hands in his pockets and a mask of hard anger covering his face. He couldn't help it. He tried his best to exude an amiable aura, but there were just some things that wouldn't allow a smile on his lips no matter how hard he tried…. For instance.

Seeing Mao with his arms around C.C. made smiling _insanely_ difficult.

Silently stewing, he watched as the foreigner tightened his hold around the witch's waist and tried to kiss her. Tried to _kiss_ her. He would have broken something (preferably Mao's skull), if it hadn't been for the emerald-haired woman's discreet dodges.

Hold it together, he warned himself. You're the student body president, he said, everyone looks to you as an example, you can't—

He tried to kiss her again, and Lelouch pursed his lips. His patience was starting to wane, and he himself didn't know what he would do once he snapped. Fortunately, C.C. noticed him observing from the doorway and promptly slid out of Mao's grasp to make her way toward him. As she approached him, with her two pigtails swishing behind her, he carefully rearranged his countenance so that it was one of calm and neutrality, before asking, "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

As she began her lengthy report on the variety of pizzas the school had offered her, the raven-haired man kept a careful eye on Mao. He was staring at them with angrily narrowed eyes, and it gave him some sensation of satisfaction at seeing his jealousy. Realizing her detailed description was at last coming to a conclusion, he smirked, drawing his attention back to the witch.

"I don't even know why I bothered asking."

"Because you love me, right?" she teased.

"Hmph. I need you to fill this application out," he said, handing her a crisp sheet of paper. "I want to leave for St. Luke as soon as the last bell rings to speak to Rivalz."

"Is it just the two of us?" She accepted the form from him, giving it a bored once-over before her mesmerizing golden irises flickered back up to him.

"I don't see why anyone else has to go," he replied, thinking of a certain silver-haired lad.

"So it's a date."

A funny feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, but Lelouch ignored it, along with C.C.'s small jest (at least, he hoped it was a joke; you could never tell with C.C.), and said, "I'll meet you by the front gate at 3:45."

"We're going to Pizza Hut before and after, right?"

"Before. Not after."

"I need my dinner. Do you plan on starving me?"

"We're not staying out for that long, C2. We'll be back long before dinnertime."

"I need Pizza—"

"If we were to stay out that long, then I suppose it would be necessary to buy dinner. But it's only a possibility, not a concrete plan, so don't get your hopes up. We're most likely not going to go to Piz—"

_Ding dong daeng._

"There's the bell," she grinned. "Looks like you're late, Kaichou."

"Oh, shut up," he muttered. "Don't forget, witch. I don't want to have to drag you away from the Headquarters."

"Aye, aye, Captain" was the only reply he received, and though it was one slathered in sarcasm, he let it pass for the moment. As much as he hated to admit it, he was late, and it wouldn't do for the student body president to be tardy to class. Damn woman, making him so reluctant to leave her.

"Oi," he called out.

"What is it?"

"… Don't forget out promise."

Her smirk softened into a smile before she grabbed his collar and pulled him down so that he was level with her. Her warm breath tickling his ear, she whispered, "Then don't skip out on Pizza Club meetings, vice-president."

Gently nipping his earlobe, she gave him a swift peck in apology for the stinging pain before pushing him down the hallway with a flirtatious wink and wave.

Cheeks painted a light rose color, Lelouch dazedly made his way down the corridor.

The witch, how did she always manage to…?

Damn.

"Bye, Lelou," she called out in an achingly sweet voice. Completely mocking him. Oh, well. He'd just talk to her later, when there wasn't Mao within the vicinity, and when they were alone. Ah… When they were alone…

As he hurried to class, Lelouch couldn't help but feel a slightly fluttering sensation in the pit of his stomach.

Him and C.C. alone…

Hmmm… It was something to think about. Maybe even dream about.

Scratch that. Definitely something to dream about.

. . .

"How were your first two days of school?"

Lelouch looked up from his phone and into a pair of roguish bullion eyes.

"Exciting enough for you?" she questioned. She casually tossed him her leather schoolbag, which he managed to successfully catch. As she waltzed down the sidewalk, she said, "So? How was it?"

"There was an excessive amount of drama," he muttered. "If the rest of the year is going to be anything like today and yesterday, I'd rather stay in bed all day."

"Ah, but you see, that depends on _who_ you're staying in bed with all day. Don't you agree?"

"No, I actually don't," he flatly said.

"Pity. I was going to offer staying in bed with you all day Saturday. Such a waste of an opportunity…"

"An opportunity I feel no regret in passing up. And it doesn't matter if I accept your… 'Gracious' proposal anyways."

"And why is that?"

The raven-haired man gave her a reproachful glance, and she threw a pigtail over her shoulder.

"I'm not the one who asked for the date. It's not _my_ fault your mother loves me so much. _I_ haven't done anything. It's all on her."

"If you're going to lie, I wish you would do it convincingly."

"Me? _Lie?_ Oh, the _scandal_, I— How can you possibly accuse me of lying, Lelouch? Do you really think that little of my integrity?"

As the couple descended into the underbelly of Tokyo for the subway, Lelouch grimly reprimanded himself. He supposed it was his own fault for walking into a trap like that. He should have known better, it was the _witch_ he was dealing with. Not his angelic sisters, not honest Suzaku, but a _witch_. He should have known better.

It wasn't until they had boarded the train when any words were further shared between the two.

"The first Pizza Club meeting of this year will be—"

"For once," he growled, "can we talk about something _other than pizza like normal people?"_

"How boring," she sniffed.

"Nearly every single conversation we have is about pizza, C2. I would really like to discuss another topic with you."

"Hmph."

She only turned the volume of the music up higher, causing for the raven-haired man to cringe as his right ear was viciously attacked with deafening singing. And, of course, at that moment, the witch decided to lean on him for her afterschool nap, which meant he now no longer had a choice but to listen to her library of songs at the ear-splitting volume she had forced upon him.

Well. Not much he could do about it.

And with that, he shifted in his seat to make himself comfortable while simultaneously trying to avoid staring at C.C.'s innocent and sweet sleeping face and protecting her vulnerability. As they sped through the underground tunnels of Tokyo though, Lelouch couldn't help but feel a little proud.

Just as he trusted her, she trusted him, and, just as there was nothing he could do about the gentle lullaby playing in his ear, there was nothing he could do to stop feeling pride swell through him.

Not that he was going to try and stop that; after all, it wasn't everyday a witch fell asleep on one's shoulder.

. . .

"Anya!"

"What is it, Kaguya?"

The student looked up from her camera to calmly gaze into the frantic eyes of her friend.

"Have you seen Nunnally?"

"Didn't she go to the bathroom?"

"I checked, but she's not in the bathroom."

"There are several bathrooms all over campus," the young photographer intoned. "She's probably in one that—"

"I checked _all_ of them, and she's not in any. Do you think she's in trou—"

"What about her room?"

"Her room?"

"She could have gone back to her room."

"Her room?" Kaguya adopted a contemplative expression and Anya returned her attention to her pictures. "Her roo— I'll be back, Anya!"

As she ran out, her loose pigtails flying after her, her classmate only nodded absentmindedly

Hmmm… It seemed like this picture would do. It had nice composition, and it contained just the type of landscape she wanted. Turning her camera off, Anya gathered up her things before walking out of the classroom, off in search for the Photography Club. It was time to introduce herself to the sponsor, and prove just how good of a photographer she was.

. . .

"I don't see why we had to come all the way here," groused C.C. "We could have called him, and—"

"We needed his signature, which, the last time I checked, couldn't be obtained over the phone. And I don't see why you're complaining; you got to eat the Pizza Hut you love so much and venture beyond the school walls. This trip was nothing _but_ beneficial to you. If anything, it should be _me—_"

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Witch and warlock turned around, surprised to hear the unmistakable voice of their former student council president.

"Lelouch vi Britannia and Cecaniah Corabelle, out together afterschool, and on a date no less… I wonder, what would Code King and Code Queen do if they were to get a hold of this, hmm?"

"We're not here on a date," immediately corrected the raven-haired man. "We're here on business."

"Oh, of _course_," she sang. "_Of course you're here on business._ That's what they all say. But is it ever truly business? No, it—"

"Are you here to visit Rivalz?" he questioned, desperate to change the subject of the one-sided conversation. Milly smiled, and though she knew what he was trying to do, obliged.

"I am, but now that I see that you two are here… I suppose Rivalz can wait a little longer for my glamorous presence. Come with me, the both of you; I want to talk to you and find out what exactly has been going on at Ashford during my absence."

. . .

"How was your day, Euphie?"

Suzaku and his girlfriend strolled down the one of the numerous tree-lined paths on the Ashford campus. Their interlocked hands swinging in between them, he listened to her recount how she had had a pop quiz in science, but how nice it had been to return to art class. Nodding, he felt a wave of relief wash over him; he hadn't forgotten Lelouch's warning about how dangerous Mao could be, and with the foreign exchange student in the same class as Euphie… He hadn't been able to concentrate on class all day as he worried over his love. He was glad to hear that nothing had happened, that it had just been another boring, old day at school.

"What about you, Suzaku? How was your day?"

"Well, Tohdoh-sensei managed to corner me on my way to language arts…" he trailed off, absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. The slightly intimidating Master of the Sword, the head of the Department of Physical Education. The coach and sponsor of the Ashford Academy Aikido Club. His mentor, role model, and the bane of his life. At the remembrance of the man, shivers ran up his spine, and Suzaku resisted the urge to look over his shoulder to make sure that he wasn't being watched by him.

"What did he want?" questioned Euphemia.

"Uh, well, he wants to know why I've been skipping practice."

"You've been skipping, Suzaku?"

"How can I skip when there's nothing to skip?" he sighed. "Practice hasn't begun yet, and—"

"Suzaku!"

The couple turned around to discover Mari Taylor dashing towards them, her baby blue eyes wide with terror and panic.

"Suzaku, it's a Code Silver! Code Silver! We're at DEFCON 1!"

"What happened?"

Skidding to a stop in front of them, she wailed, "King's kidnapped Cheese-kun and Tomato-san! Suzaku, what do we do? If Vice-President Corabelle finds out, she's going to _kill_ all of us, we're so—"

"How were they stolen? And where are they now?"

The brunette frowned. Who in their right mind would even _consider_ the possibility of stealing C.C.'s precious mascots?

"I sent a fireteam to find out how they were stolen, but what do we do about the two hostages? We need to recover them before the Vice-President returns, and—"

"Alright, I understand now. Calm down, Mari. We'll find them before C2 comes back. Thank God she went out today; we'll have a little time before she finds out. We're going to have to spread ourselves thin; they could be anywhere, and we don't have much time. Euphie, I'll have to talk to you later. Sorry! Mari, come on!"

"Oh, it's…" the pink-haired teen began. But the two had already vanished, and her smile faltered.

"… Okay."

Euphemia wrung her hands as she stood, alone, on the quadrangle. She had seen Suzaku for a total of two days so far, and out of those two days, there had been extremely little opportunity to actually spend time with him. Not to mention the way that every time she was allowed to be with him, it seemed as if Mari Taylor had stolen him away from her.

Euphemia didn't know much about Mari Taylor. She knew that she was a third year, as she had seen in the seat besides Suzaku's. She knew that she was a member of the Ashford Academy Disciplinary Committee and that she was athletic, as she was on the archery club and the aikido club. She also ran track, she recalled, as she had often seen her jogging on the track with some friend, or at times, Suzaku when she was walking back home after club meetings. Mari Taylor was pretty and probably smart, and she was nice and funny from the few times they had chatted. She was an all-star. Any boy would be lucky to have her as his girlfriend, and a lot of boys probably did want to date her.

… Was Suzaku one of those boys?

Euphemia tried to swallow the growing lump in her throat as she dwelled on the possibility. Perhaps he had grown tired of her, since she was younger than him, and didn't like sports as much as he did. They didn't hold many of the same interests, now that she thought about it, but it seemed as if he had several mutual interests and hobbies with Mari Taylor. In fact, he probably spent more time with Mari Taylor than he did with her, his girlfriend.

… For how much longer would she be his girlfriend? And why hadn't Suzaku said anything about Mari yet?

Maybe he was in love with Mari, and just didn't know how to tell her. Suzaku was a gentle and sweet person, he probably didn't know the best way to break the news to her. Yes, that was it; Suzaku Kururugi was in love with Mari Taylor, and she, Euphemia vi Britannia, was standing in the way.

Well, she wouldn't stand in his way any longer. She had held him back long enough; it would only be selfish and self-absorbed of her to force two individuals who loved one another apart.

Yes, that was what she would do. He had been kind to her, and now, it was time for her to repay the debt.

_Goodbye, Suzaku Kururugi_, she thought. _I'm sorry for coming in between you and your love._

And with that, Euphemia vi Britannia bid her happiness farewell for the sake of the one she held closest to her heart.

. . .

"So, how has my wonderful student body been doing?"

Milly wiggled her eyebrows in anticipation as she took a delicate sip from her coffee. Her mischievous sapphire irises twinkled at the couple who was seated across from her, the raven-haired man's untouched cup of tea cooling in silence and the witch nibbling on a slice of sweet pound cake.

"Today," flatly intoned the boy, "was the second day of school. Therefore, it would be _impossible_ to give a—"

"Everyone seemed fairly excited. Code King and Code Queen already crossed paths during the club fair yesterday. The police had to be called in again to reinstate peace and order," replied C.C. She couldn't help but notice how her schoolmate was wearing a mask of cold steel, and it made her curious. She had thought Milly and Lelouch had ended the school year on good terms, despite the amount of teasing the latter suffered at the hand of the former. Was she wrong in this?

"Ah, Code King… I presume they'll be even more rowdy this year than the last, since their darling prince is leaving after this year?" grinned Milly.

"I think this year will be an interesting one," she contemplated aloud. "Certainly more eventful than last year."

"I'll make sure to drop by," giggled the blonde. A silence settled in between the trio, during which the college freshman stared at them so attentively, Lelouch began to feel uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat, re-crossing his legs, and still, she didn't look away. So, he finally broke the silence.

"… What is it?"

"What?" she asked, innocence oozing from her question.

"… Why are you looking at us so intently?"

"It's just intriguing."

"What is?" he demanded, suspicious of her.

"To see you two sitting side by side without bickering. I remember you two couldn't go five minutes without arguing over the smallest things… It's nice to see that my babies have grown up."

"We're not your—" he spluttered indignantly. But Milly, being Milly, ignored his denial, and continued on.

"In fact," and here, she giggled, obviously tickled by her thought, "it would be the most ironic thing if you two were to start dating one another. Don't you agree, C2?"

The emerald-haired woman merely smiled in agreement, all the while taking note of the way her companion stiffened in his seat. Odd… Did he dislike the idea of being her boyfriend?

"Well, it looks like Lelouch no longer has any patience or desire to continue this conversation, so I," their former president rose from her seat, "will be taking my leave. It was nice seeing you two again. Give my love to the rest of the council!"

And with that, Milly Ashford blew them a quick kiss from across the table and flounced away, swept away by the eternal flow of pedestrians on the streets of Tokyo, disappearing as quickly and unexpectedly as she had arrived.

The two continued to sit in silence for some time before the older of the pair asked, "Are you done with your cake?"

"I want pizza."

"… We're going home."

"Pizza. I want pizza. I'm hungry, Lelouch."

"Then let's go home so we can eat dinner," he scowled. C.C. blinked as he stalked away from the outdoor café table. Okay, what had happened between Milly and the boy? There was something that had obviously gone awry between the them, or else he wouldn't be this grouchy. What exactly had—

"Are you coming or not?"

Rising from her seat, she grabbed her cashmere scarf (it was starting to get cold in the evenings) and walked up to where he was impatiently waiting. Partially unwinding her scarf from her neck, she wrapped the other end around him. Seeing his look of surprise, she only shrugged before heading down the bustling sidewalk.

Lelouch stared after her until he felt the scarf testily yanking on him. Running up to her, he couldn't help but think…

What a strange witch this woman was.

. . .

Suzaku frantically ran up the stairs leading to the school's rooftop. As he burst into the outside world, he gritted his teeth as a sense of hopelessness overcame him. The campus was _monstrous_, it was nearly _1500 acres_, it was going to be impossible to find Cheese-kun and Tomato-san before C.C.'s return, even with the coalition between Code Queen and the Disciplinary Committee. There was just too much ground to comb through, and not enough people searching. And he couldn't make a school-wide announcement explaining what had happened and asking for assistance; he didn't want to sweep everyone up into the chaos. And besides, doing so would only make Lelouch angry too, for distracting (the majority of) the student body from studying, not to mention increase the likelihood of the emerald-haired woman finding out about the incident. She probably was going to regardless, but it was always better to make the probability of those kinds of events happening as small as possible. After all, it was _C.C. and Cheese-kun_ they were dealing with, not some—

The second his phone's ringtone intruded upon the deceitfully tranquil landscape, Suzaku immediately picked up.

"Mari? Have you found anything?"

"Suzaku, it's a Code Black now."

"What? What happened?" A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he heard Mari break down into tears.

"Suzaku, I'm sorry, I don't know how it happened, I—"

"Mari, what—"

"Euphemia," she blurted out.

"… What?"

"They… They took Euphemia vi Britannia, Code Queen kidnapped Euphemia, Suzaku. Suzaku, what do we do? Lelouch is going to be spitting fire when he finds ou—"

His hand fell, the phone dangling limply at his side. Euphie, they… They had… They had taken sweet, innocent Euphie, and they…

At least… At least Nunnally was alright, right?

Right?

_Right?_

Ominous uneasiness swamped him as his hands subconsciously curled up into fists. Brows drawn together, he felt the tension coursing through him and willed himself to relax. Standing here a nervous wreck wasn't going to help him, it wasn't going to save Euphie or Cheese-kun, it wasn't going to restore peace. It wasn't going to finish his job.

Spinning on his heel, Suzaku bolted to the stairs.

First, check on Nunnally.

Second, do something he should have done in the beginning, find Mao.

Find Mao, and if he was the culprit, then…

Then….

Even Suzaku didn't know, but he knew that it wasn't going to be pretty. Well, it didn't matter if it was going to be pretty, he had _abducted Euphie for heaven's sake_.

Suzaku Kururugi was on the warpath, and he wished Mao the best of luck.

He was going to need it to survive the hell he was going to put him through if he was the one guilty of hurting his love.

. . .

"Why are you frowning like that? We got what we needed, didn't we?"

C.C. swayed to and fro in rhythm with the train's steady cadence as she peeked up from her seat at the brooding young man standing before her, his moody amethyst eyes watching the scenery flash by.

"… The look on Milly's face throughout the entire time we were talking with her…" he finally replied. "… I don't like it."

"You don't like a lot of things," she countered matter-of-factly. "You don't like two lumps of sugar in your tea, you like one, you don't like the idea of your precious sisters dating anyone, you don't like being tardy, you absolutely detest chaos and disorder, and you especially hate pizza, though, for the life of me, I will never, cannot ever, understand."

"We've been over this countless time, C2," he sighed. Readjusting his grip on the cool metal bar above her head, he launched into his lecture. "Pizza is incredibly unhealthy for you, and it would serve you well to expand your palate. It—"

"My palate is just fine. It would serve _you_ well if you would agree to let Suzaku drag you to the gym for once. You're skinny as a stick; I could probably snap you in half if I wanted. I _know_ Kallen could snap you into two if she wanted, and the same goes without saying for Suzaku."

His scowl deepened at the mention of his underwhelming physical ability. Why must she feel the need to bring that up every time they got into an argument? Did she _like_ rubbing salt on his wounds?

The warlock opened his mouth to make a sharp retort, when the train suddenly pitched forward. Thrown off balance, the raven-haired man stumbled straight into the lap of C.C. Pressing her into her seat, his eyes widened as he became acutely aware of the way he was sitting in her lap. No words were shared between the two, thankfully, though an awkward stare was. In fact, as her warm breath brushed his lips, all Lelouch could do was just stare.

Just stare into her beautiful golden eyes as he (unintentionally) trapped her, their limbs tangled together.

And then, of course, at that specific moment, he suddenly recalled the musings of Milly Ashford, and how funny it would be (at least, how funny it would be to her and C.C.) if the witch and he were to begin a relationship. And of course, with his social ineptness, the words "C2" then spilled out from his lips before he could stop himself, and of course she replied with a curious "Yes?" and _of course_ he managed to begin saying the first few words of "Would you like to go out for dinner?" before he caught himself.

_Of goddamn course._

She studied him (which he couldn't really blame her for), clearly wondering why he had stopped speaking abruptly.

"Would I like to what?" she asked.

He swallowed, unexpectedly feeling unbelievably nervous. Just ask her out for dinner. Just ask her out for dinner. Just ask her, it was only eight words, eight simple words, just ask her out, just do it, now, just— Now— It— Eight—

"… Would you like to… Stop eating pizza?"

She gave him a strange look, obviously asking him if he were still sane. He probably wasn't, what with the thoughts he had just been thinking, but it—

"I think you need to go home and lay down, Lelouch. You must have hit your head on something and forgotten who I am."

"… That's right," he smiled lopsidedly. "We need to get home as soon as possible. We don't want to break curfew after all."

She only sighed out of exasperation before shoving him out of her lap.

"I'm not speaking to you for the rest of the way home," she informed him. He nodded.

Personally, he wasn't quite sure he would talk to himself the rest of the way home either if he had treated himself the way he had treated her just now.

Probably not.

. . .

As he looked over the entire campus, Mao burst into high-pitched cackles. His shoulders shook with mirth, and he clapped his hands excitedly as he watched the Ashford Academy Disciplinary Committee bend over backwards and twist itself into knots as they desperately searched for four hostages, two of which were stuffed into the burlap sack lying behind him.

Turning around with a crazed grin, he clapped zealously before shrieking, "It's all going according to plan! It's all going according to plan, it's working, I'm a genius! I'm the genius king, Mao Qing!"

Trembling with excitement, he threw his arms up to the sky and threw his head back before screaming to the heavens, "It's working! The wonderfully and marvelously perfect plan created by Mao Qing the King _is working!"_

His screeches abruptly shrunk to a low undertone as he grinned madly.

"Now C2 will love me! C2 will love me, I'll be C2's knight in shining armor! I'll come to the rescue, I'll be the one to give her the kidnapped dolls, _I'll be the one she falls in love with, not that damn Lelouch vi Britannia, I'll be the one she loves! Me! Mao Qing!"_

Ripping one of the two trademark plushies out of the sack, Mao began to waltz around the roof, his humming only occasionally interrupted by the odd giggle. He, Mao Qing, would receive her kiss, would be the apple of her eye, her one and only, for he, Mao Qing, was Cecaniah Corabelle's one and only soul mate. Him, Mao Qing, the genius king, Mao Qing!

As he danced in celebration of his brilliance, he couldn't help but giggle at the thought of seeing C.C.'s grateful tears as she embraced him in her relief. Why, he may even get a kiss out of this! Oh, oh, oh, how wonderful would it be if she were to kiss him!

"Ah, C2! Come quickly, for the sooner you return, the sooner you'll be able to realize the truth! I, Mao Qing, will be waiting for you, my queen!"

And thus, Mao Qing lay in wait, greatly anticipating the chaos to come, for the chaos would grant his innermost wishes and his dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Code Geass isn't mine.**

Chapter Four

"Azami, Azami! We have to hurry!"

"Hurry for what?" asked her friend. "What do we have to hurry for?"

"Lelouch-sama has returned to the campus, and we need to greet him!"

"But Clara told me that I had to—"

"But she'll get pissed if you don't acknowledge his return."

"Well… I don't know, I—"

"It'll only be for five minutes! Five minutes!"

"Okay, but five minutes only. Clara will _kill_ me if she catches me leaving; she'll ban me from making bentos for a month like last time."

"Hurry, hurry, we can't be late!"

As the two girls sprinted down the hall, they missed a quiet first year making his way down the hallway. He pushed his glasses up with a finger and scratched his head, wondering why those two upperclassmen were running. Was there a fire somewhere? Or an emergency? He hoped it wasn't dangerous, he didn't think he could outrun whatever it was they were running from. Well, whatever. Coming to a stop, he punched in the code for the bookroom while juggling a tower of books. There were so many binders of taxes and bills, and there were so messy. His sister had done a terrible job as the treasurer, it—

Rolo screamed as something, or rather someone, tackled him. What the hell—

"Nunnally?!"

"Oh, Rolo! Thank you so much for saving me!"

W-what… What had Nunnally been doing in the closet? And what did she mean by saving her? What was going on?

oOoOoOo

Euphemia jumped in her seat as she heard the door open with a bang. And that was all she could understand. Her hands were bound behind her back, along with her ankles, and she had been gagged and blindfolded. She didn't know where she was or if she was even on campus anymore. She shook but tried to be brave. At least it wasn't Nunnally, she reminded herself. She would rather have it be her, than Nunnally. Poor Nunnally. Euphemia couldn't bear to have the thought of her sweet younger sister being held captive by whoever it was had kidnapped her. Speaking of kidnapping, why had she been kidnapped, it wasn't as if she had done anything wrong to anyone or was of any particular value, it—

"Euphemia!"

"M-Maii?"

"Euphemia, it's okay, I'm here, you'll be okay."

The second her hands were free and she was able to speak, the girl with pink hair asked, "Mari, what are you—"

"It's okay, Euphemia, the Disciplinary Committee is here."

"… Is Suzaku here?"

"No. No, Suzaku is… Actually, I don't really know where he is. You want me to call him?"

Euphemia said, "No, I just want to go to my room." The older girl said, "I don't think you should" but Euphemia stamped her foot and said, "I am going to my room no matter what, I don't care what you say." Before Mari could say or do anything, Euphemia stormed off. As she was left alone, Mari spoke aloud.

"Wow, what a jerk."

oOoOoOo

"Mao!"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Someone you've pissed off. Where's Euphie?"

"How would I know where she is? I don't even know who she is."

Suzaku angrily advanced on the foreign exchange student, kicking him to the ground. Stepping on his chest, he demanded, "Where is she! Where's Euphie! What have you done with her?!"

"I don't know where she is, get off of me!" he flailed. "Get off of me, I have to look my best for C2!"

"Speaking of C2, where's Cheese-kun? You did something, didn't you? Where's Cheese-kun, Mao? Where is he!"

"You think I'm going to tell you?" he choked. He giggled, apparently thinking of something funny. "I'm not going to tell you, I'm not going to let you get in my way!"

Suzaku picked him up before throwing him onto the ground like a ragdoll. Pouncing on him, he yelled, "Where are they, Mao? Where?"

"I don't— STOP! Look at me!"

Suzaku froze. So they were here… And close by. He looked around the roof. It wasn't as if there were a lot of places that he could have hid it, it was a rooftop, everything, or, most of everything, was out in the open.

The bag. The bag, the bag was being suspiciously lumpy, he had to get to the burlap bag.

The burlap bag!

oOoOoOo

C.C. walked into her dormitory and immediately stopped. There was something wrong about the dorm, something was off…

She ran to her bed. Cheese-kun and Tomato-san were waiting there, with welcoming smiles on their polyester faces. So it wasn't them… She began to go through her things. Something was wrong, and she was going to find out what was wrong. She heard the door open and knew that Euphemia had come home.

"Euphie, have you seen—"

Euphemia burst into tears. C.C. looked up, shocked to hear her friend crying.

"Euphemia, what—"

"Oh my God, C2, today was just awful," she wailed. "It was terrible, just so terrible!"

The two girls sat down in the middle of the room, the one with pink hair leaning on the one with green hair as she cried on her shoulder quite literally. As C.C. comforted her best friend, she wondered what had happened. She was usually so cheerful and bubbly. What in the world had happened?

oOoOoOo

Suzaku glanced at Lelouch as he buttoned up his dress shirt. He watched him turn up his collar before folding it down when he noticed something. There was a bruise on his neck. A bruise? But Lelouch was so careful, and he didn't do anything that would make a bruise. And besides, who gets a bruise on their neck? It would…

Was… Was it a love bite? Lelouch vi Britannia? With a love bite? What… How… Who would… What?

"What's the matter?"

Green eyes snapped to Lelouch, who was staring at him. Suzaku looked at him completely frozen. Holy crap, did he know what he was thinking?

"U-um… Um, Lelouch, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"How do I say this…"

"If it's about Mao, then I—"

"Yeah, it's, uh… It's about Mao."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes. "What did he do?"

"Hey, um… Just… Don't do anything rash."

"What did he do, Suzaku?"

"… Yesterday, you know how you and C2 went to visit Rivalz in the hospital?"

"What happened while we were gone?"

"… MaokidnappedCheese-kunandTomato-sanandCodeQueenkidnappedEuphieandNunnally."

His best friend stared at him, and Suzaku could see his shock slowly melt into… Oh crap.

"Lelou— Lelouch! H-Hey, Lelouch, don't— Be careful! Think things through before you do anything!"

The door to the boys' locker room slid shut behind him ominously and Suzaku smiled uneasily to the others in the room. Lelouch deserved to know what happened. After all, it was his sisters, and he was the president. He was bound to find out anyways, and if he didn't tell him, then Lelouch would be even angrier because then he'd ask why he hadn't been told about the incident. So it was better this way, right?

_Right?!_

oOoOoOo

"Euphie! Euphie, are you okay, I… Euphie?"

Suzaku slowed to a stop, confused as to why his girlfriend had turned her back on him and was quickly walking away in the opposite direction from him with her head down. What was going on? What had happened? Had he done something wrong?

"Euphie, wait, I—"

"Suzaku!"

"Mari?" His classmate ran up to him with a wide smile. "The President wants to see us. He seemed really pissed off. We should probably get going."

The brunette sighed, running a hand through his hair. Sometimes, he wondered what it'd be like he went to a normal school.

"Okay. Thanks for telling me."

She tugged him down the path as he reluctantly set off towards the lion's den. Yeesh. So many obligations. Suzaku was starting to feel glad that it was his last year of high school. He didn't think he could take it much longer.

oOoOoOo

"Can someone please tell me," Lelouch growled, "why Mao Qing was only given a week's worth of detention for breaking and entering into another student's dormitory, trespassing into the Student Council Headquarters, and theft? Why was he not suspended?"

"Um…"

Suzaku fidgeted. He didn't really have an answer, truth be told.

"Out of the 564 students at Ashford Academy, 329 were given detention for two months. 10 were suspended. Why was Mao Qing only let off with a week's worth of detention? What happened, Suzaku?"

"It's not really Suzaku's fault," defended Mari. "He doesn't decide the punishments, he just catches people."

"His role is to ensure that bad students are punished properly. Mao needs far more than five days of detention!" he yelled. "Why is it only five days?! Someone explain to me why!"

When his question was met with silence, Lelouch sighed before dismissing the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.

"Lelouch, what—"

"Go. I don't want you in here anymore."

The two left but not before his best friend looked over his shoulder. He saw the President sitting at his computer, furiously typing. Well. Looked like somebody was in trouble.

oOoOoOo

"Nunnally, can I borrow your SD card?"

"My SD card?"

The brunette looked up to stare at her friend. Anya nodded before explaining why. "I have a project in Photography, but my SD cards are full, and I don't have time to go out and get a new one. I'll give it back after."

"Of course! But I'm not sure if there's going to be enough room on mine either… From my birthday party last year, remember? We took a lot of pictures then."

"Is it okay if I look through them and delete some?"

"I'll help," she offered. Anya nodded as the two sat down together.

It wasn't until they had arrived at the something-hundred picture, when Anya stopped. She blinked, surprised. What…?

Nunnally blushed as Anya stared at the camera's screen.

"Um, that's… I can explain that," stuttered Nunnally. Anya looked up to look at her roommate before quietly saying, "Please do."

oOoOoOo

"C2, I think it's time to wrap up the meeting." Cecile Croomy, the home economics teacher and sponsor of the Pizza Club, whispered to the Pizza Club's president. "It's almost curfew."

"Just one more slice."

"C2, that's enough," said Lelouch. She glared at him. "Shut up, vice-president. You have no power here. I don't have to listen to you."

"C2—"

"I just said one more slice," she said. "Why can't I just have one more slice?"

"Because you've been saying that for the past hour!" he yelled. "Enough is enough!"

"Well then," she huffed. "I never, in all my years."

Cecile smiled uneasily. It was never good to have C.C. and Lelouch fighting each other. Their fights were infamous, often upturning tables with chairs being flung around along with violent threats. As the teacher in charge, she had to calm them down.

"C2, maybe you can order some to-go and eat at home."

"… Fine. But Lelouch is paying," she sniffed. "He ruined my appetite."

"Nothing can ruin your appetite," he muttered. "Liar."

C.C. only stuck her tongue out at Lelouch before rapping on the table. "Well, I'm going to call the first meeting of the Pizza Club in the 2018-2019 school year to a close. Thanks for coming, everyone."

Standing up, she yanked Lelouch out of his seat before marching away to the counter where the employees of Pizza Hut stood with a smile, happy to see their favorite and most frequent customer. Cecile, relieved to have passed a dangerous moment without any damage, smiled and said, "We should get going."

Suzaku stood, ready to ask Euphemia if she wanted to walk home together, when the pink-haired girl quickly grabbed her younger sister and walked out of the restaurant. Suzaku, at a loss for words, sat back down heavily. Shirley, who had been sitting besides him, asked, "What's wrong, Suzaku?"

"… Nothing," he mumbled. "We should probably get going, Shirley. Rolo. Let's go. I don't want to miss the last train."

The other two nodded before getting up and following the brunette out. Only one student left. Cecile asked, "Mao, why don't you go home with Suzaku and the others as a group? I'm sure you're not familiar with the way back home, and—"

"I'm going home with C2."

"But C2 is—"

"I'm going home with C2," he said firmly. "I'm going home with her. We're going home together, just as a king and queen should. Together."

The teacher glanced over her shoulder to see the two students, Lelouch and C.C. C.C. was sitting on the counter, chatting with a teenage boy behind the counter who was wearing a Pizza Hut uniform, while Lelouch was staring at his watch, as if glaring at the time would force it to go slower with sheer force.

"Well. I suppose we'll have to wait."

And with that, Cecile sat down, nervously glancing at Mao every now and then who was intently staring at C.C. There was something strange about that boy… But also something familiar. What was it again? It was as if… It was as if she had seen him somewhere before, like in a dream, but couldn't quite remember where… Hmmm…

oOoOoOo

Though it was 8 AM on a Saturday, the members of the Ashford Academy Student Council were toiling away in one of the many conference rooms of the Headquarters. Rather, most of the members were toiling away. Kallen threw down her pencil. This was unfair. Though Rivalz had returned from the hospital, albeit with one of his legs in a cast, a large chunk of the student council was missing.

There was Gino and Rolo, seated at the same table as hers and bent over a huge stack of paperwork (or trying to successfully fly a paper airplane into the waste basket in the opposite corner of the large room in Gino's case), and Nina, who was busy tapping away at her keyboard, and Shirley and Kaguya and Lihua who was also filing paperwork. But where was Suzaku? Where was Suzaku, and Lelouch, and C.C., and Nunnally, and Euphemia? And that weird Mao kid? Where were they all?

"Where the hell is everyone?" the redhead grumbled. "Leaving us all with the budgeting. And Lelouch. As the president, he should be—"

"Does anyone happen to know where Euphie is?"

So Suzaku had finally wandered in. Lazy butt.

"No, I don't know where Euphemia is. Where's everyone else? Where's Lelouch? You should know, he's your roommate."

The brunette sat down besides her and opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything, Anya cut in with, "She went home." Bewildered, everyone in the room looked up to stare at the first year.

"Why?" demanded Kallen. She shrugged. "I don't know. Their mother just wanted to see her children, I guess."

"But C2? C2's not her daughter."

"Well… C2 and Lelouch are childhood friends," thought aloud Suzaku. "And Euphie's best friend. And apparently, Lelouch's mom loves C2 according to Lelouch?"

"Or," softly said Anya, "it could be because C2 and Lelouch are dating each other."

A silence set in the student council for about three seconds before her words hit home.

"They're _what?!"_

"They're in a relationship," repeated Anya, completely unfazed by the toppled chairs and hands slammed down upon the desk. "According to Nunnally, for about a year and a half now."

"A year and a…" Suzaku dug into his pocket for his cell-phone. She couldn't be serious, could she? Lelouch would have told him if something like that had happened, he was his best friend after all. Right? RIGHT?!

"Suzaku? What is it? What did Mao do?"

"H-huh? Uh… Uh, Lelouch, I was just wondering—"

"_Lelouch!"_

Suzaku jumped. When had Rivalz snuck up behind him? Wobbling on his one good leg, Rivalz yelled into the phone, "Lelouch, how could you do this to us! You never told us that you were in a relationship, much less with C2! How could you hide this from us?!"

"Rivalz, put it on speaker phone!" commanded Gino. The student council crowded around the phone as Lelouch spoke.

"I never hid anything from you or anyone else. Neither did C2."

"What do you mean you didn't hide it? This is the very definition of hiding a relationship! You—"

"It wasn't intentional."

"How is keeping your girlfriend secret not intentional?" questioned Kallen. They heard their president sigh before replying, "The reason why you didn't know, Kallen, or anyone else for the matter, is because no one ever asked. So we didn't say anything."

"Because no one— That— You're supposed to announce that kind of thing! So that we know! You can't expect us to know everything!" said Rivalz. Kallen sighed, shaking her head before muttering, "The both of them are dense. Completely dense. They don't know anything about love, you guys. You can't expect for them to know about things involving love and relationships."

"On the contrary, Kallen, Lelouch and I are very informed on the ways of the bedroom."

"No, we're no— Don't listen to her."

No one was listening to her. A long time ago, they had stopped listening. All they were thinking about was the fact that Lelouch vi Britannia and Cecaniah Corabelle were in a relationship, were in love with another.

Holy. Crap.

**A/N: My first time writing ever, so be nice y'all. Thanks.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Just look at those two," muttered Kallen. "Is that how they flirt with each other?"

"Well, every couple has their own style. You and I are different from Suzaku and Euphemia, who are different from C2 and Lelouch. Don't you agree, Kallen?"

The redhead glanced up at the blonde underclassman who was grinning at her. Blushing, she averted her gaze and mumbled, "Whatever. But how is this flirting? How dense can they be?"

The two spies watched the witch and the warlock sorting papers into different stacks. They occasionally spoke a word or two in question or confirmation every now and then, but for the most part, the room was silent. Kallen grumbled. What the hell? Why was she here looking into a room that she had every right to be in through the slits of the locker door? Sneakily watching the two idiots doing paperwork… Is that what Milly wanted? Actually, why was she even doing anything for Milly? She wasn't here, it wasn't as if she could get heat from her if she didn't. And also, why did Rivalz have to go tell Milly anyway? It was only going to piss off Lelouch when he found out (though he seemed to get pissed off at everything when it didn't go his way, so whatever).

"Gin—"

"Hey, look at that," Gino whispered. "Looks like the thing that Milly wants is about to happen. Do you have your phone?"

"Yeah."

"She wanted pictures. Get it ready."

"Alright, alright," she hissed. "Just be quiet."

She awkwardly fumbled for her cell-phone, trying her best to not touch Gino anymore than she had to in the cramped space of the small locker. _This is just insane_, she thought, _just freaking insane._

"Hurry, Kallen, or we're going to miss it."

"Okay, just calm down, I can't… Reach… My phone."

"Got it."

She angrily glared at the younger man who had reached into her pocket without permission but he was busying turning the flash off of the phone's camera.

"Okay. Ready?"

"Let's just get this over with," she replied. And with that, she snatched her phone back and aimed for the slits of the locker door. This had better be worth it.

oOoOoOo

The second the applications had been properly sorted, Lelouch picked them up and made for the door. The last thing he wanted was to be found in a room alone with C.C. after the student council had realized the truth. It only meant relentless teasing for him, teasing that he had no patience for. He was so close to the door, _so close_, when the witch grabbed the tails of his school uniform jacket and yanked him back. He let out a strangled gasp, tightly clutching the papers to his chest. Damn, he'd almost dropped them. Spinning around, he angrily said, "C2, I almost undid the work we've been doing for the past hour, you shouldn't—"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the administrative building. We need to turn these in before the deadline and—"

"It's not due until another hour. Relax."

"You do realize that it takes time to go to the administrative building, don't you?"

"What, five, ten minutes at most? Why don't you just get one of your little fangirls to do it for you?" she asked. He exploded. "Are you crazy? These are confidential, I can't let unauthorized personnel to handle these, it would be a violation of the—"

"Okay, fine. Do what you want, Mr. Anal, just make sure to pay the toll before you leave."

"Mr. Anal? That's original. And would you stop with the tollbooth? It's not funny."

"How else is a girl supposed to get love from her boyfriend when he's such a prig?"

"By not calling their boyfriends Mr. Anal and a prig. That would be a good start."

"Oh, please?" She pouted, clinging to his jacket as she wiped a fake tear from her eye. "All I want is just an itty-bitty kiss. It'll only take a second. Please? Please, please, please, please, please? Please, Lelou? Please? I promise you I'll be a good girl for the rest of the day if you kiss—"

With a sigh, the president bent down and gave her a light peck on the lips. He was about to brush by her, when she stopped him again.

"What is it now, C2?" He glanced at the clock over her head. God damn it, if he didn't leave now, they were all screwed.

"You didn't mean that," she accused. What the…

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't. Who sighs before kissing someone? Do it again."

"C2, I really need to—"

"Again. Or do you not love me anymore?"

"Okay, that has _nothing_ to do with anything right now, I—"

"Then why won't you kiss me? It's not even as if we're with other people, we're alone right now," she sniffled.

"… C2, I…" He hated seeing her cry, even if it was fake. She was acting. They both knew. But seeing her tears still pained him, as fake as they were. Maybe he should just kiss her… It wasn't as if it was going to kill him, and it looked like it was the only way he was going to be able to turn the applications in. So… Maybe he should just give in?

"If you want to leave, then kiss me. Properly. Like a man."

He looked at her, stared at her, trying to make up his mind.

"… Sometimes, you really are just insufferable."

C.C. smiled. "I'm a witch. Witches are _supposed_ to be insufferable."

"Of course. How could I have not known that?" he muttered. And with that, his lips were on hers. Rising up onto her tiptoes, she wound her arms around him. It was a fleeting kiss, much more brief than the ones they usually had, but it carried no less passion. Breaking apart, they stared at each other before coming together again, losing themselves in the kiss. He brought her closer to him, hugging her waist as he kissed her gently, softly, with love. She smiled, enjoying the attention, until she heard a breathless, "God damn shit."

They looked down at their feet to the floor where all of the meticulously stacked papers were sprawled all over the place having slipped from Lelouch's hands in the heat of passion. C.C. looked up at the frowning man, before saying, "You taste like vanilla. Yum, yum."

He looked up at her, blinking in confusion, before asking, "You planned this, didn't you?"

"I'm just a girl," she said innocently, "who asked the boy she loves for a kiss."

"… You insufferable, incorrigibly, egotistical _witch!_ What are we going to do now if we don't turn in the report in time? Do you know who's going to get in trouble if it's late? Me and you, that's who. You—"

"It's fine. You'll be able to turn it in with plenty of time."

"_Plenty of time?!_ There is an estimated 40 minutes left before the deadline, and it took us an hour and fifteen minutes to organize it, we can't—"

"Relax, Lelouch. We'll be fine."

"How can you say we're fine? This is not fine, this isn't going to let us be fine, it—"

"We will be fine because we're not alone."

"This is going to— What?"

C.C. waltzed over to the row of lockers in the back of the room before opening the third from the left. Kallen and Gino spilled out, landing on the floor with a hard crash. Lelouch stared with wide eyes as C.C. put her hands on her hips and shook a finger at the two.

"Naughty, naughty, naughty. How were you two planning to get of there, hmmm? And spying on the president and the vice-president no less. What ever shall we do with you, hmmm?"

Kallen glanced at the stunned president before glancing at the door. Could she make it? She had to. She had to, she couldn't get caught, and she didn't feel like jumping out of the second story window or using her kendo skills on Lelouch. She'd only be digging herself a deeper grave then.

"… How long have you two been in there?" he growled.

"… An hour and a half."

"An hour and a— _What did you see?"_

"N-nothing," stammered Kallen. Jesus, why was he getting so angry? It wasn't as if _he_ had to spend the last two hours in a cramped space with a flirt of a guy, why was he so pissed off? Oh right. It was Mr. Anal she was talking to.

"And why in the world were you two in the locker? What were you doing? What— Kallen!"

But the redhead only sprinted out of the room with a loud and not very apologetic, "Sorry!" thrown behind her shoulder with Gino hot on her heels. Lelouch screamed in frustration. _What the hell was wrong with this day?!_

oOoOoOo

"K-Kallen?" Suzaku stumbled backwards. What the heck? Why was she running so fast? And Gino too? What was happening?

"_Milly made me do it!_ Huh? Oh. Hi Suzaku." The redhead dusted herself off while stepping back from the boy she had just collided into.

"What did Milly make you do?"

"N-nothing," she stuttered. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."

"Um… Okay…" he said. "Have you seen C2, by the way? There's something that I want to talk to her about."

"C2's in Room 145 right now," answered Gino.

"Oh, okay. Thanks. I'll see you guys around."

"Yeah, bye," waved Gino. The second Suzaku turned the corner, Kallen let out a sigh of relief. "God, I thought that was Lelouch or something for a second."

"Good thing it wasn't, huh?" asked Gino. Kallen nodded before saying, "We should probably go and give this to Milly before he does actually catch up with us. Where's Anya?"

"Why don't we go look?"

So the two headed off.

oOoOoOo

"Whoa… What the heck happened in here?" Suzaku stopped in the doorway of the room. There were papers all over the place; he couldn't even see the purple carpeting of the room there was so much paper. He bent down to pick up a couple of sheets when he heard a sharp, "Don't touch that!"

Suzaku looked up to see his best friend kneeling on the ground, grabbing papers in a seemingly mindless manner.

"What are you doing, Lelouch?"

"That _witch_. She made me drop all of the papers and then left me to pick them all up. I have to hurry and pick them up again or else we're all going to get in trouble."

"But… The deadline isn't until tomorrow afternoon."

"I know that," he snapped. "But it's always best to be early."

Suzaku scratched his head. Sometimes Lelouch could just be so… Lelouch. Shrugging, he said, "Have you seen C2? Gino and Kallen said that she'd be in here."

"Does it look like she's in here?"

"Well… No…"

"Then there is your answer. Why are you looking for her?"

The brunette mumbled, "Well… It just has… Something to do with… With the Pizza Club."

"Pizza Club? Why?"

"I-I wanted to ask C2, since she's the president… And you seem a little busy. Um, I'll just go look for her. Bye, Lelouch!"

"Hey, wait, Suza—"

But Suzaku had already backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief. That was close. If Lelouch had found out that he had made Euphie upset, then he'd be a dead man. Well, he was going to find out eventually, but for now, he could still walk around with his head on his shoulders. That being said, time to go find C.C. and get some answers.

oOoOoOo

"Well, what do we have here?"

C.C. watched as the brunette third year shut the door behind him and joined her on the school's rooftop. Chewing on a slice of pizza, she asked, "Is this about Euphemia?"

"… Yes," he muttered.

"You know, you made her cry."

"I know," he replied miserably.

"And Lelouch is going to kill you when he finds out."

"I know that too."

"And Euphie thinks that you're in love with your classmate Mari Taylor."

"I… Didn't know that."

"Duh," she said. Crossing her arms, she asked, "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do? How do I prove to Euphie that I love her, and not Mari? Why would she even think that?"

"Well, let's see, Suzaku. You're in the same class as her. She sits in front of you, according to Lelouch, and she often turns around and talks to you, once again according to Lelouch, who sits next to you in class, you're interested in a lot of the same sports, you practice with her a lot, even outside of mandatory practices, and she's the deputy chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, which means you and she work together a lot. That's enough to make any girl jealous."

"But… But _you_ wouldn't get jealous if Lelouch did something like that."

"I wouldn't. Because he wouldn't be the type to do something like that. Rather, Lelouch is the one who gets jealous. In fact, you know that argument he and I had the first day of school, when he threatened to assassinate Cheese-kun? That was because he got jealous of the pizza delivery boy."

"Well… How did you and Lelouch figure it out?"

"Have you been to P.E. lately, Suzaku?"

"Um… Yeah."

C.C. leaned against the stone railing.

"Have you seen his neck?"

"Why? What's on his… Oh." Suzaku thought back on the kiss mark on his friend's neck. So that's… well… Okay….? "I… I don't… I can't- I don't think I can—"

"I'm not saying that you and Euphie should make up the way Lelouch and I do. Every couple is different. This is a test, Suzaku, of how well you know your girlfriend, and if you're willing to do whatever it is for her. If you fail… Well, you can kiss your girlfriend goodbye. And the ability to go to the bathroom, because when Lelouch finds out, and if you haven't fixed it in time, he's going to have you castrated."

"C2, at least tell me what I can do to make it better. I… I don't even… How do I—"

"_You witch!"_

Suzaku hid behind the door as it slammed open. He bit back a cry of pain as it slapped him. Through his watery eyes, he could see Lelouch storming towards the underclassman.

"You self-centered, self-absorbed, selfish _witch!_ How can you make that enormous mess and leave it like that so that I have to clean it up?"

"Fact check, Lelouch. That was _your_ mess. You're the one who dropped the papers, not me. You were the one holding them."

"If it hadn't been for you and your stupid toll, then I—"

Lelouch was cut off as she leaned up and kissed him.

"Did you not like that? You didn't like kissing me at all? Even a tiny bit? Because if you didn't at all, then it's my fault. But if you did, then its yours. So which is it, Lelouch? Oh, and also. If you say that you don't, we're breaking up. I'm sure Johnny, the pizza delivery boy, will gladly take your place as my boyfriend. And he works at Pizza Hut. Think about that. Free pizza for the rest of my li—"

"I banished Johnny from the campus."

"I can just leave campus and see him."

"You… You… Ugh!"

Suzaku crept away as he heard Lelouch and C.C. arguing and kissing. Geez, those two… How had they kept their relationship hidden for so long? One and a half years… What, that meant they had gone on their first date sometime during the end of first semester last year? Or the end of first year? Suzaku scratched his head; he never was good at math. That had always been Lelouch.

When Suzaku heard the two lovebirds stumbling towards his hiding spot, he freaked. Lelouch couldn't find him here; he'd ask what they had been talking about, and he'd find out about Euphie, and then to make matters worse, it would be super awkward because they were in the middle of making out, and if they just found him standing there watching them, what the heck would Lelouch do? Not castrate him, but probably get pretty close.

There was no room, nowhere to go, nowhere to hide, and they were coming closer.

Think, Suzaku, think!

oOoOoOo

"Hey, Shirley!"

"Huh?"

"Do you know where Suzaku is?"

Shirley tried to think as she dried herself off with her towel. Taking off her swimming cap, she shook her hair out before replying, "I don't think so. Sorry, Mari."

"Well, if you do see him, can you tell him that— ACK!"

Startled, Shirley turned around to see her swim teammate gone. Where was she? She had just vanished, she had been right there, in the swimming pool, and it… What were those bubbles? Huh? What was—

Shirley scuttled backwards away from the pool's edge as Suzaku and Mari broke up into the surface.

"S-Suzaku, what are you doing in there? Where did you just come from? And why are you in the pool with your school uniform on?" asked Shirley. What the heck?

As he climbed out, shivering, he replied, "L-Lelouch and C… C2, they… He… H-he came to the r-rooftop, and they… Th-they just, I had to l-leave, and…."

"H-here's a towel," said Shirley while handing him an extra towel. He stuttered his thanks before wrapping it around himself.

"But Suzaku?" Mari said. He turned around to face her. "H-hmmm?"

"So you just jumped down from the roof into the pool?"

"I h-had to. Or else Lelouch was going to find out and k-kill me."

"Kill you? Why would he kill you? I'm sure he's gotten over that whole Mao thing, I—"

"I-it's not about that, Mari."

"Then what?"

"It's s'nothing, I… I better go inside before I catch a cold. I'll see you two around."

"O-okay, Suzaku. Bye," said Shirley. Mari waved as their classmate shuffled into the boys' locker room. When they were alone again, Shirley said, "Well, that was weird."

"Yeah, no kidding," replied Mari.

"But are you okay? It looked like he jumped on you."

"Yeah, I'm fine, it was in the water. And it's not as if it's the first time he's jumped on me."

"Yeah, you two get along really well, don't you?"

"I'd like to see myself as Suzaku's best girl friend, you know?"

"Hey, hey, watch what you're saying. He has a girlfriend."

"For now," mumbled Mari. Shirley, not quite catching it, said, "Huh?"

"Nothing, Shirley. We should go in too, before we catch a cold. Let's go. Geez, I don't even know why Coach Villetta made us have practice in the outdoor pool today. Even if it is a warm autumn day."

"You know how hardcore she can be."

The two girls giggled as they walked into the girls' locker room, completely missing the lone figure outlined in one of the school's enormous windows. Euphemia didn't even know why she was watching. Suzaku was on his own now; she and him were only strangers now. She trudged away. Only strangers.

oOoOoOo

"O-oh, Euphemia!"

"Hi Nina," cheerfully said the underclassman. "Are you working right now? Should I leave?"

"N-no, it's fine!" she said shrilly. Euphemia tilted her head, frowning. Why was Nina acting so weird? Had she done something bad?

"Are you okay, Nina?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just… Um… Euphemia?"

"Yes?"

Euphemia set her schoolbag in her chair at the student council meeting table. Maybe she should finish her paperwork… Or else Lelouch could get upset for not having it all done on time.

"… If you were… If you were given a chance to do what makes you happiest for a job, would you?"

"Of course!" she chirped.

"… Even if you meant you'd have to leave in the middle of your last year of high school?"

Euphemia looked up in surprise.

"Nina…"

The bespectacled girl smiled apologetically.

"… I've been offered a position at the Dallas Research Institute and be a part of In Vogue, their nuclear research team."

"All the way in the United States?"

Nina nodded. Euphemia sat down, blinking in shock. Nina… Nina was going to leave?

oOoOoOo

"Okay, okay, stop it," he demanded. "Stop, you witch, that's enough."

"It's not enough," she whined. "I'm not done with you."

"Your lips would beg to differ," Lelouch replied, running his finger over her bottom lip. "They're all bruised and swollen."

"That's on you. You have no idea how to treat a lady. Some gentleman. _Some prince_."

"That's right. I'm not a prince or a gentleman. But you know what I am?"

"What?" she grumbled.

"A warlock… My beautiful witch."

C.C. tried to hide her blush. Reaching up, she pinched and pulled with his handsome face, distorting them to ugliness.

"You talk too much."

He only glared at her. C.C. giggled before releasing him. He rubbed his cheeks, about to scold her, maybe even yell, when she kissed his nose and dashed off.

"Hurry up, Lelouch, we're going to miss the student council meeting because of you. Slow-poke."

Sticking out her tongue at him, she vanished behind the door. Lelouch slid down until he was sitting on the concrete, staring up at the setting sun.

That witch.

He smiled.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"U-um, Lelouch?"

"Yes, Nina?"

"The Headmaster wants to see you and C2 in his office."

"The Headmaster? Is there any particular reason why?"

"He didn't specify… You should probably go and see what he wants."

Lelouch rose from his desk. "Do you know where C2 is?"

"P-probably in the Pizza Club room. Or her room."

"Alright. Thank you."

Nina nodded and was about to walk out of the president's office, when she heard, "Nina?"

"Y-yes?"

"… About In Vogue… We'll discuss that later."

She nodded again and scuttled out of the room. Lelouch sighed. The Headmaster? He usually left the student council alone… What did he want now? He reached for the jacket of his school uniform when his hand met nothing. Confused, he turned around to stare at the coat rack. It was empty. What…?

_That witch_.

oOoOoOo

"C-C2-senpai?"

"What is it?"

"Whose jacket is that you're wearing?"

Without even looking up, the girl, who was wearing the female uniform of Ashford Academy save for the jacket, which was from the boy's, replied, "I borrowed it."

"From who?"

"Can't tell you. It's a secret. Senpai is allowed to keep a few secrets to herself, isn't she?" C.C. winked at Rolo, who, flustered, hurriedly wiped his glasses.

"Are you done with your part, Rolo?"

"Y-yes!"

"Good boy. Now. Let's do some talking."

"T-talking?"

The older student nodded, patting the seat besides her to tell him to sit down. Rolo obediently sat down.

"I'm under the impression that you have a little crush on Nunnally vi Britannia. Now, I've been doing some thinking and—"

"I-I don't have a crush on N-Nunnally!"

"It's not polite to interrupt someone when they're talking, Rolo. Now as I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I've been doing some thinking, and sooner or later, Lelouch is going to catch wind of this, if he hasn't already."

Rolo paled. "Y-you think he kn-knows?"

"It's a possibility," she replied matter-of-factly. "He's not stupid, though he can be extremely ignorant of social cues. And we all know how much attention he pays to Nunnally."

The timid brunette buried his head in his hands. Crap, crap, crap, Lelouch knew about his feelings! What was he going to do? No wonder he hated him so much, he had no idea as to why the president had treated him so coldly, and now he knew. Oh, what was he going to do? And did Nunnally know? Had Lelouch told her? A-and, and how did C.C. know? Did everyone know his secret? He hadn't told anyone, so how did everyone—

"What are your future plans, Rolo?"

"F-future plans?"

"How far do you want to go with Nunnally? Though I strongly suggest you at least wait until Lelouch is in college to pop her cherry."

"I-I d-don't— I— I would never—"

"Hey, it's okay. I'm 16, you're 15, we're all grown-ups here. I know you know, and you know I know. We're cool. I won't tell Lelouch, don't worry."

"I… I don't want to do anything like that with N-Nunnally," he mumbled, pushing his glasses up with a finger. "I-I just…"

"You just what?"

"… I just want to make her smile…"

"So…?" she prompted. Rolo looked up, his cheeks flushed but with a determined look in his eyes that was unbefitting his meek personality. "I want to go out with her."

"That's the spirit!" she cheered. Popping the last pizza crust of the box into her mouth, she chewed and swallowed before saying, "Since we've established that. It's time to plan."

"Plan what?"

"You didn't think that I was just going to let you face Lelouch by yourself, did you? Did you? Rolo, do you really believe that you'll be able to win over his sister complex?"

"Well… I… I'm not really…"

"If you want to go out with her, you're going to have to either win Lelouch's approval, or "accidentally" go on a date with her. I suggest the latter."

"Um… C2-senpai?"

"Hmm?" The emerald-haired woman busily shuffled papers around as Rolo fidgeted in his seat. "Um… Why are you helping me?"

"Why am I helping you?"

He nodded and she looked at him. "I'm helping you because, as much as I love Nunnally, she's getting in the way."

Huh?

"I see you're confused. Let me explain the entire story to you. Lelouch's mother and my mother are best friends. They were sorority sisters in college, and best friends, so naturally, when I was born, I was constantly being put together with Lelouch ever since I was born. Well, long story short, 14, 15 years after I was born, I discovered that we were in love, so we went out. And kept going out together after that. Now. As you know, Lelouch has a certifiable sister complex. It was somewhat annoying to see him dote over his sister so much when he treats me like the way he treats me. And now that Nunnally also goes to Ashford, _and_ the fact that this is Lelouch's last year before he goes to college, he is going to try every waking moment with her. Maybe even every sleeping moment. I know he has dreams about her. He mumbles in his sleep. But if he spends all his time with Nunnally, where does that leave _me_?"

"So… You're going to…?"

"You can say it. I don't mind."

"You're going to… Get rid of her?"

"I love Nunnally. She's so adorable, and I can see why Lelouch likes her. Loves her. I love her too. But he is _obsessed_ with her, and it's getting to be on the psychotic side. So that's why I'm helping you. Trust me, Rolo; this is a win-win situation you're in right now."

"Win-win?"

"I win and you win. We win together. Win-win."

"Um, I'm not sure that's the exact definition of a win-win situa—"

"Anyway. I'm going to need your phone number, your e-mail address, the door code to your dormitory, your class schedule, and also how big your allowance is every month."

"U-uh…"

"Trust me, Rolo, when we're finished, you will—"

"_You!"_

The door slammed open to reveal an angry Lelouch.

"Why are you angry all the time, sweetie? It's bad for your blood pressure. You should try taking up yoga. It'll help you find inner peace."

Lelouch ignored her fake concern and stormed up to her. "Stop taking my things without permission. How do you even know the code to my room?"

"Um, hello? Knowing you, it's easy enough to figure out; you should seriously consider changing it."

"Just because you know it doesn't mean you can just go in and take things without my permission. I don't even live there alone; what if you walked in on Suzaku—"

"Doing what? What could Suzaku possibly be doing that you don't want me to be walking in on? Oh, are you afraid that I'll start cheating on you with him? Lelouch, he is the boyfriend of my best friend and the sister of my boyfriend. Do you really think that I'm that hateful?"

His lips were a tight line. "The Headmaster wants to see us."

"Why?"

"How should I know?" he snapped. "Hurry up and get your jacket. We have to go see what he wants."

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed today."

"Shut up," he said moodily before walking out.

Rolo nearly melted in a puddle of nerves. Good God, that had been the scariest thing since… Well, since ever. How was C.C.-senpai so calm while facing him? She stood up, picking up her deserted jacket on the table.

"We'll talk again, Rolo. I have big plans for you. _Big_ plans, plans that will get what we both want. Okay?"

"U-um… C2-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

"… Is Lelouch-senpai's door code Nunnally's birthday?"

"Huh?" His question finally registered and she grinned. "Oh, surprisingly, it's not. You would think that he would make it Nunnally's birthday, right? But it's actually my and Lelouch's anniversary. He's such a coy sweetie pie, don't you agree?"

With a wink, she left the room, leaving Rolo alone to mull over what had just happened. Well… Well, maybe… Maybe with C.C.-senpai's help… Maybe he had a chance with Nunnally. Maybe, with her help, he just might have enough edge to make his wish come true…

Rolo sat back in his chair and looked out the window at the quiet fall afternoon sky, a small smile on his lips as he began to daydream.

Maybe it wasn't impossible for him to be her boyfriend.

oOoOoOo

"Hello, darling. Did you miss me?"

Lelouch stood frozen in the doorway, and C.C. tried to peek over his shoulder to see what had scared him so much.

"Milly!" With a wide smile, the second year squeezed her way into the doorway before hugging her friend. "Hi, C2. Has Lelouch been treating you well? I heard the news. Naughty, naughty, hiding your love affair for two years. I wonder, how long would you two have gone on hiding if Anya hadn't spilled the secret."

"_Anya_ is the one who told everyone?" Lelouch asked.

"Yup," replied Milly. "Remind me to take her out for dinner in thanks for unearthing Ashford's biggest scandal. Have you two made the official announcement?"

"We will do no such thing," curtly said Lelouch. Milly looked surprised. "But what about Code King and Code Queen? Don't you think it would be a good way to end the way they keep fighting? I mean, the only reason why they hate each other so much is because they think you two hate each other. Because all they see whenever you two are together in public is arguing."

"We will not tell Code King or Code Queen anything because I refuse to acknowledge them. Doing so would only make them into an official organization."

Milly shrugged. "They're going to find out anyway, so do as you see fit. But that's not the reason why I came here today."

"Why did you come today?" questioned C.C. Milly spun around in the headmaster's tall, brown leather chair. "I heard the student council got some new members. How many additions did you get? Four?"

"Six," corrected Lelouch. "Nunnally vi Britannia, Rolo Lamperouge, Anya Alstreim, Kaguya Sumeragi, Lihua Jiang, and Mao Qing. Clara Lamperouge resigned. Nina Einstein has a tentative resignation."

"I heard about that too… She told me, actually. U.S., huh? That's pretty far from Tokyo… Hmm… Seems like I keep sidetracking. Back to business. I came here to impose an executive order to you two and the Ashford Academy Student Council."

Lelouch tensed. An executive order? From Milly Ashford?

"As is the tradition when the student council receives new members, there needs to be a celebration to inaugurate the new members while also introducing them and the position they'll be taking to the student body. And since we've gotten _six_ new members, a number which we've never gotten, it needs to be _extra_ special this year."

"What do you have in mind?" C.C. was curious. Whatever ideas Milly Ashford had for celebrations and parties were brilliant, each better than the last. What did she have in store for them, she wondered.

"I thought we could do this in a traditional way, and have a matsuri. A hanabi matsuri to be precise."

"We can't condone fireworks," flatly said Lelouch. "Absolutely not."

"It's an executive order."

"And the school rules state that—"

"Hanabi matsuri, and we'll open the school campus. It'll be a fun to kick off the school year. Everyone's down because summer is over and they have to go to school and study."

"That's the life of a student. They'll get over it eventually. I refuse to—"

"Excuse us, Milly," interrupted C.C. "We'll be right back."

C.C. grabbed Lelouch's collar and dragged him out of the Headmaster's office. Throwing him up against the wall, she stepped in front of him so closely, there was no space between their bodies.

"What do you think you're—"

"Why can't we have a hanabi matsuri?"

"Because we're not allowed to set fireworks off on the school campus. It's stated in the school handbook… As…" Lelouch faltered. Oh, this couldn't be happening again. He was stronger than this, wasn't he? This was the oldest trick in the book, and yet… _Curse this all_.

"Do you really want a hanabi matsuri that badly, Ceci?"

"… I just want to see some fireworks with you…" she mumbled. "But if you really don't want to, then… Then I suppose we don't have to have a hanabi matsuri… Since it's against the school rules and all…"

He tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him. Gently rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheekbones, he asked softly, "Do you really want to?"

"… Since it's your last year here. And our last chance before you… Before you go away."

"Then I suppose there's nothing we can do but have a hanabi matsuri."

"Really?"

"You are the bane of my life, but also my love. Yes, really. So don't cry, Ceci. You're so much prettier when you smile. Come on. Show me your beautiful smile."

She smiled and the corners of his lips rose before he bent down and kissed her gently. "There's the pretty smile I know and love."

She hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I spoil you too much," he sighed, running his hand through her hair.

"Spoil me all you want," she replied quietly. "I don't mind."

They both laughed quietly as they stood in the empty corridor together.

"I suppose we should go tell Milly of my change of heart?" said Lelouch. His girlfriend shook her head. "Let's just stay like this a little longer…"

"It is nice being like this…"

"Isn't it?"

"It is," he agreed. "Quite."

And, smiling, the witch and the warlock quietly stood together in each other's warm embrace.

oOoOoOo

"You know what I've decided?"

Shirley turned to Kallen, who continued. "I've decided that Lelouch and C2 are dense. But that they're not the only ones. How did we not find out about their relationship earlier? I mean, look at those two!"

"Um… Yeah…"

Kallen shook her head, muttering how unbelievable it was as she walked away from the president and vice-president who were currently standing in the hallway together hugging.

Shirley watched them from behind the corner before hiding behind the wall. So Lelouch had a girlfriend, huh? And C.C. no less… She thought back on her memories of the raven-haired man, of him in class, answering questions correctly when called on, helping her and Suzaku and Mari out when one of them had a question… Who could have known that all this time, he had been in love with a girl?

Shirley smiled, tears in her eyes. So she hadn't even had a chance since the beginning…

Seems like Shirley Fenette had lost once more.

**A/N: Does anyone have any ideas for what I could do next? I have writer's block and have no idea what to do next for the story.**


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